Showing you how to avoid those time-sucking, life-wasting tasks that we all have as entrepreneurs.

The ones that we know we need to do, but also know that technology can do for us.

When I started the newsletter, ChatGPT was still in its infancy.

Today?

AI models run the entire world.

Even my 88 year old Grandmother has ChatGPT on her phone.

The other day she was telling me that she told ChatGPT a few ingredients she had sitting in her pantry, and the famous chatbot gave her a recipe to cook.

She was blown away at how fast and simple it was…versus googling around for something she may or may not even like.

But while in the process of cooking the meal…

She had a terrible slip and fell onto her back in the kitchen.

Don’t worry, she’s ok!

But this is just one example to why I decided to change the direction of this AI newsletter.

(remember this story for later…)

Automation is everywhere now.

AI-powered software will continue to increase in both its accuracy, its speed, and its abilities.

In the last 3 weeks, we’ve had:

• Elon show us that Grok’s latest benchmark tests scored a 44.4% success on "Humanity’s Last Exam” → a 2,500-question benchmark designed to evaluate an AI’s academic knowledge and reasoning skill. Created by nearly 1,000 human experts across more than 100 disciplines and released in January 2025, the test spans topics from the classics to quantum chemistry and mixes text with images.

• Sam Altman told Theo Von that OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-5 can “CEO” better than he can.

• To add to that, Alexander Wei, head of reasoning at OpenAI, just announced that GPT-5 achieved a gold medal in the world’s most prestigious math competition:

  

  GPT-5 is set to release (with some limitations) in early August.

• And the Higgsfield Steal AI tool now can 'steal' camera angle, composition, color, lighting from any film and drop actor into any scene. Watch them insert Taylor Swift into Game of Thrones and Daniel Craig in the Joker.

Remember when ChatGPT couldn’t even write a good LinkedIn post?

Those days are long gone.

The next insane AI trend.

In January 2025, I realized that all these valuable automation skills I was yapping on about would soon be performed by modern AI tools.

Eventually, these tools will be able to control our entire computers for us, all from a voice command or simple prompt.

OpenAI’s new agent product is a bare bones example of this.

You can even build any app you need just by writing a chat prompt, with a tool like Lovable.

But I had one internal conflict to wrestle with...

I didn’t want to be another trend hopping content creator, and start writing about “AI Agents” like every other automation guru does.

So I spent 6 months asking myself, “What’s an imminent AI trend that hasn’t gotten any attention yet??”

And one day, while picking tomatoes in my garden, I figured it out.

Remember that story about my Grandmother using AI to cook?

ChatGPT gave her the recipe…which is great!

But…

She still had to physically go to the pantry, get out the ingredients, follow the instructions, measure each item, and cook the meal herself.

The problem is she’s 88 years old, with a failing heart condition, and needs a walker just to get around her apartment.

Safe to say cooking requires a ton of physical exertion.

But what if AI could prepare AND cook the meal for her?

When she yanked open the refrigerator door…and fell on her back onto the wooden kitchen floor…

What if AI could help her up, examine her wounds, and call the medical staff at her facility?

Come to think of it…

If AI was actually cooking the meal for her…then my grandmother would never have suffered a life-threatening fall in the first place!

These are our current limitations with AI.

We have the smartest most powerful technology ever invented at our fingertips…

Yet GPT-5 can’t even cook me a burger.

A welcome call for the Next Major AI Trend:

The Physical Embodiment of AGI.

In 1 year, you will start reading about humanoid robots in the news.

In 5 years, you will see one walking around your neighborhood.

And in 10 years, humanoid robots will become part of our daily lives…

Just like Alexa, Siri, and ChatGPT.

You’ll be shopping on Amazon for the latest robot parts. You’ll be teaching your robot to do the laundry and prepare dinner for the family while you take the kids to sports. You’ll even program it to feed your pets while you’re away on vacation.

You’ll even share important life events and business strategies with it.

It will mow the lawn and do the dishes, while you read a book or go to lunch with a friend or conduct a zoom call.

At the moment, there aren’t many people talking about this trend.

So we’ll be discussing more physical AI in the new publication. We’ll deliver content about how smarter AI tools & Humanoids can provide you more free time to live a life you only dream of.

My goal is to prepare you to for a world where humanoids & humans work together.

We’re calling the newsletter, Smarter Living.

And because I’m a crazy AI nutjob…

I just bought one of the first humanoid robots in production.

An open-source robot from K-Scale Labs, called the “K-Bot”

As one of the first 100 people to own a K-bot, I’ll be contributing to the development team and training my own version, while sharing my code with other K-bot owners & developers.

My first major goal is to create a personalized version of a “homestead” assistant, that helps me around the house and out in the garden.

There’s so many possibilities!

You’ll get to watch it all unfold on my YouTube channel, and over at SmarterLiving.ai

My actual robot won’t be arriving until November 2025, which gives me a few weeks to build the business venture and start writing content again.

It’s time we stop being afraid of what AI will do TO humans…

And start getting excited about what AI will do FOR humans.

Imagine living in a world with:

• Humanoid Robots that act as your family’s personal chef & butler.

• AGI Assistants that grow your entire business for you, 24/7.

• An abundance of human and spiritual connection.

• Radical advances in science and free energy.

• New cures for cancer and disease.

• More free time offline!

If it sounds like something straight out of the Jetsons, you’re right.

Our world is advancing at a monumental pace…and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

IMPORTANT:

If you wish to be added to SmarterLiving.ai, there’s nothing to do on your part.

I will be moving your email address here over to the new publication on August 1st 2025.

If you’re not interested, please feel free to unsubscribe before August 1.

We’re still in the process of setting up the newsletter infra (over on Beehiiv), and building out the funnels, sequences, and newsletter structure.

So this is a farewell from “The Autopreneur” as we transition to “Smarter Living.”

My wish for you is that you learn to thrive in a world alongside of technology & robots. A world where you outsource all the boring useless tasks to AI…so you never waste a minute of your precious life.

I want a planet where humans start doing human things again, and enjoy our time in the sun.

A planet where peace rules, human connection matters, and dreams become the new global currency.

That’s a world I want to live in. And I hope you do too.

But until we get there…never forget:

Time > Everything.

See you in the future, Autopreneur.

~ Ryan Hutchinson

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My total 2024 coaching earnings finished at $551K because I stopped trying to do "ALL th3 thInGs."

2024 was about focusing on less.

It paid off and now I can't operate any other way. Here are my 3 favorites learnings from a successful year.

Let's jam!

First, commit to 1 premium group coaching offer.

I used to get excited about:

• Launching a course

• Selling digital products

• Building a subscription community

I thought, “I’ll give so much value at an affordable price people will line-up to buy!”

*Crickets*

Well, I did get some sales, but not enough to write about it in a Substack post.

Those 3 offers appeal to 3 different buyer behaviors, at 3 different stages of their journey, with 3 kinds of buying power (none of which are premium).

They're not bad ideas. They're "really-hard-to-scale-without-volume" ideas.

Unless you're Mr. Beast (or even a fraction of Mr. Beast), you likely don't have the social media traffic to launch, sustain, and scale even 1 of the 3.

But what if I told you that’s good news? It is and here’s why: most people in the world have a small social media following.

This “small” should actually read as, “sufficient.”

It leads to 1 inescapably fascinating paradox that encourages me every time I stop and reflect:

Coaches with a small audience and premium price tag win big.

And they win big because they learn how to target their niche with a premium price instead of trying to target broadly with an “affordable” price.

In 2024, I committed to testing this paradox with:

• 1 group coaching offer

• 1 target audience (coaches)

• 1 specific stage of their journey

You know how my story turned out (see pic at the beginning of this post), so here’s what happened when I taught this to my clients:

• Client earned ~$100K in sales after only 4 workshops 🔥

• Client closed a deal in 24hrs, then $18K 30 days later

• Client closed the largest deal of her coaching career

• Client closed her first premium deal, then 8 more

• Client earned her first $1,000 payment (above)

• Client earned $40K from 1 free workshop

So we're clear, my ~$100K client gets about 20 likes per post and has 7-10 people show up to his monthly workshop.

When you focus on simplification and depth you get Avenger's level clarity as your superpower.

Your content marketing gets sharp, persuasive, influential, powerful, engaging and:

• Your landing pages get dialed into your niche buyer

• Your workshop delivers must-have knowledge

• Your sales conversations get easier (& fun)

• Your client delivery gets faster

I've never been more confident that 1 offer is all you need to scale to $1M.

Second, you don't need 100 traffic sources.

I have a presence on 1 social platform: LinkedIn (2, now that I'm on Substack).

Time and time again I said to myself:

• "Figure out ads."

• "Launch on YouTube."

• "I can go viral on TikTok."

• "Instagram will be so important."

"You must de-risk from only 1 traffic source," I argued in my head.

While I’m not wrong, there’s a more important lesson to grasp first:

Master 1 social platform, first. And stick with 1 platform until you can maintain an active roster of 20 clients (more on that in my final insight below).

For me, that was LinkedIn. Substack and YT are next ONLY because:

1. I've mastered LinkedIn (active client roster of 50+)

2. I'm able to hire support services (like video editors etc.)

3. I now have the bandwidth (due to my group coaching structure)

I'm not leaving LinkedIn in the dust. I’m only building on the momentum.

To recap our journey in this post so far, my $551K in coaching sales came from a simplified focus of:

• 1 social platform

• 1 group coaching offer

• 1 target audience (coaches)

• 1 specific stage of their journey

Let’s close with my 3rd and final insight.

You only need 1 conversion protocol: a free workshop.

I've tried to acquire new clients with every blueprint in the playbook.

• Videos

• Paid ads

• Carousels

• Text posts

• "Clarity Calls"

• "Strategy Calls"

• "Discovery Calls"

• [insert name] Calls" 😂

You know what really worked? 1 free workshop per month.

Think about this math for a second (warning: you can't unsee it).

If you commit to 12 workshops in 2025 (1 per month) with the goal of getting and maintaining 20 active clients, then:

Scenario 1

• 20 active clients

• $500 earned per client

• $10K per month or $120K per year

Scenario 2

• 20 active clients

• $750 earned per client

• $15K per month or $180K per year

Scenario 3

• 20 active clients

• $1,000 earned per client

• $20K per month or $240K per year

12 workshops to get and maintain 20 active clients.

That's so clear.

There's not a person on planet earth who can convince me it's not possible with any audience size. My clients and I proved it.

When I cut back on common strategies and focused on 1 workshop, I not only ended up with a consistent conversion protocol, I found that I always had somewhere to point potential clients to.

You see, we often try to go from content to conversion. But that's really hard to do.

Everyone tries to sell with content. “Content builds a 24/7 sales machine,” the echo chamber says.

Not true.

Sure, it creates “lead warmth.” But everyone wants to sell in content, so everyone looks like they’re selling the same thing.

Social is 1 giant sales circus.

This changes when you build a powerful workshop.

A free workshop between your content and your offer enables you to always point people to 1 highly valuable experience. This makes you distinct among a sea of sellers.

It's valuable because you're NOT hard selling on the workshop. You're forgetting conversion and serving. You’re meeting potential buyers where they’re at.

(“selling” doesn’t feel like selling when it’s human and relationship focused)

The value is that...wait for it...someone (your target buyer) is actually going to gain new information that they can immediately start applying.

This is a dramatically different experience compared to the person who read your post (and everyone else’s) that encouraged them to “DM” you to get their life changed.

Let’s recap our “1’s":”

• 1 workshop

• 1 social platform

• 1 group coaching offer

• 1 target audience (coaches)

• 1 specific stage of their journey

This is all you need to build a $20K per month coaching business (and beyond).

Get clear on your group coaching offer first, then craft your workshop, then market your workshop. Repeat it every month until you get better and better.

Let 2025 be the year you do less to get more.

• But not just "more money."

• More lunches with your spouse.

• More free time with your children.

• More "hey, let's go see that new movie."

• More "let's book that trip to [insert place]."

• More weekday nights grabbing a bite with friends.

The right kind of more.

Please be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, Coaches Who Close.

~ Ryan Musselman

Join 2544 readers every week learning business strategy, AI, and Automation:

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Hello there,

My name is Matthew Brown.

I run Tribe Digital–an X and LinkedIn ghostwriting agency for B2B business owners.

Started the business in June of 2022 and have now worked with 60+ business owners, mostly B2B, to grow their audience, email lists, and businesses.

We’ve driven nearly $10m in revenue for clients in that time.

Now, there’s a lot of different factors that go into building an organic traffic engine that grows your audience and business on autopilot.

But I want to cover 2 big ideas:

1. Your content engine

2. Social selling - where I use automations and where I don’t

Your Content Engine

I originally got this idea from Sahil Bloom years ago and it’s stuck with me since.

A content engine is how you can consistently and reliably produce great content.

• You de-risk content quality

• You’re more consistent which means you’ll experience compounding returns

• You’ll create a body of work that you can repurpose and span across channels

A content engine looks like this:

Inputs → Note-taking → Outputs → Distribution → Audience

Inputs

This is stuff you consume.

Could be YouTube videos, podcasts, Twitter, email, books, audiobooks, conversations, or any number of things. Our brains consume and produce ideas. As you are consuming different forms of content and as you spend time thinking, you get to the next section.

Note-taking

Write down:

• What stands out as interesting

• “Ah ha” or “oh wow” moments

• Novel insights or strong opinions

Make sure to note where you got the ideas from so you can properly attribute them.

Where do you write this?

I recommend doing whatever works best for you. But I’ll share what works best for me, after trying many different systems:

1. I take raw notes using Apple Notes. I always have my phone with me and it’s incredibly low friction.
   

2. When I sit down to write, I’ll put the most interesting ideas into my knowledge management system in Notion (which looks like the image below)

(If you want this knowledge management system for yourself, you can click here to get it)

As you can see, this is where I work on ideas.

Outputs

I sit down every day with some dedicated writing time, scan the list of ideas under “no status” or “in progress” till I find one that looks interesting to me that day.

Then I’ll write the piece of content and move it to “completed”.

This becomes my library of content I can easily repurpose across platforms. You can see I have 245 long-form pieces sitting in the “posted” section. I will admit I haven’t operated this perfectly because I’ve published more posts and emails than that.

But regardless–it’s incredibly valuable.

Distribution

This is publishing the content.

I use Hypefury for X and Taplio for LinkedIn to schedule the content in advance. You can manually post or use the in-built scheduling tools for any of the platforms. But I get a lot of value from how clean the scheduling tools are and the analytics dashboards they have built in.

If I spend an extra long time on a piece of content, I’ll also spend extra energy distributing it.

I’ll DM it to several friends and ask if they’re willing to drop a comment.

I make these asks sparingly and try to reciprocate as much as I can.

Audience

As a byproduct of my consumption, note-taking, outputs and distribution, I build an audience.

For context, I started writing on LinkedIn for my own account about 8 months ago. I’ve crossed 12,000 followers and 2500+ email subscribers in that time. And I’ve built far larger audiences for my clients.

People forget that it’s not all about audience size either.

I have several clients with sub 10k followers who make $1M+ per year through their audiences. It’s about “The Right Followers” as much as it is the “number of followers”. So make sure you’re optimizing for both!

~

Last note on Content Engines before we move on.

As a ghostwriting/content agency, we build these content engines out for every single client. Basically we ask the question, how can we consistently produce excellent content? This often requires weekly client interviews if they’re not already regularly producing.

So get creative.

I shared my strategy with you and it may work perfectly or you might have to make some tweaks.

The important part of any system is that it takes LESS effort than it produces in outputs.

Social selling: Where I use Automations vs. Where I keep things Manual

For context, about 50% of my sales have come from content and DMs.

And for almost all of my clients, they’re getting sales calls booked directly from the social platform. I’ve convinced a few to start email newsletters and those have become solid sources of booked calls too. But the vast majority of leads have come from X or LinkedIn.

So here’s what I’ve learned.

Automation: Posts “automatically” are shown to people

This isn’t true automation.

But just by posting content, you switch from 1:1 to 1:many. Which inherently is higher leverage. If producing content is NOT a part of your routine right now, I would highly recommend you consider adding it.

However, let’s talk about direct outreach as well.

Manual: LinkedIn Sales Navigator lists

LinkedIn has an amazing built-in tool.

Unfortunately you do have to pay for it. But I believe they offer a great promotion for month 1 (and you can get everything you need in 1 month). I recommend building these lists manually because you know better than anyone what your target audience looks like.

But after you build several quality lists, it can make sense to add automations.

Automation: Connection requests

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to manually send 40 daily connection requests for myself, let alone for the 15 clients we work with.

Great place to use a tool (I use one called Expandi).

You might wonder if you should add a note with the connection requests and this is my rule of thumb:

• If you are contacting someone cold and can’t get hyper-personalized with the messaging, send a blank connection request. You can later message them once they’ve accepted.

• If you can personalize the message, send a connection request with a personalized message. This will improve connection acceptance rates as well as reply rates. Personalized messages might mention the college they graduated from, geography they live in, if they visited your profile or recently changed jobs.

Note: on X/Twitter, there’s not a great method to do the whole follow-for-follow thing like there is with LinkedIn’s connection request feature.

Second Note: Automations are against LinkedIn’s terms of service. So beware how you use them.

Automation + Manual: DM Messages

Once someone has accepted a connection request, do you send them automated or manual messages?

I start with automated messaging.

I build specific and personalized scripts for every list I use.

BUT…once someone responds, all automations are automatically turned off. And I then manually respond to each conversation and be overly and obviously human. The reason I’m okay sending automated messages is because after doing a ton of manual ones I realized they all looked similar anyway.

However, once people respond, the conversation can go any number of ways and I don’t try to perfectly map responses for every variation of what people could say.

Automation: DM response notifications

When you get a response from someone, they are warm.

If you wait 2 days to respond back, they are cold.

So I set up a Zap to let me know when someone responds. The output looks like this:

And like this:

When to decide if you should do something manually or automate it?

If you have low volume, don’t automate things.

Just do them.

But if you’re going to do something at scale…you’ve GOT to figure out automation because it will save you tens of hours of time, often on a recurring basis.

~

Boom.

That’s it!

Hope you were able to actually learn something from this. My favorite definition of learning is “same conditions, new behavior”. Or in other words, you change your behavior if you learn. If you consume content but don’t change behavior, that’s called entertainment.

Best,

Matthew

PS - if you’re interested in learning more from me, I write a weekly newsletter called the Social Selling Newsletter.

The newsletter fits 3 criteria: (1) actionable within 24 hours (2) helps you make more money and (3) I’d pay at least $20 for the information.

Check it out here: https://matthewbrown.kit.com/profile

Subscribe now

Pssssst. Hey….

You….

Yes you…

Want to write for the Autopreneur?

If you’ve got a great system or unique business strategy, and you would like to be seen by over 2500 readers…

We just opened up more guest authors slots for Q2!

Reply to this email or reach out to me at Ryan@theautopreneur.co to apply. I’ll send you more details when we chat.

~ Ryan Hutchinson

Hi & hello have we met yet?

I doubt it cz I’m new here and just trying to figure out how this guest authoring thing works…

So stick with me for a second will you (I’ll make it 10x worth your scroll).

I’m Lessa, 33, German (but identify as Latin), love Eminem, reinvent myself 7x/year, come from the world of ads & news, started typing my first words for the Internet 2 years ago, wrote & sold a GIF course, ended up marketing emails (my own)…

And…

Now this is awkward cz we’re not that close yet…

I milk cows as a hobby.

(Yes, really)

random picture so you know who i am (right)

Stop the grinning, here’s the deal:

Today, I’m gonna walk you through a different style of newsletters that makes people love you & your stuff.

See, in the age of AI…

We’re left with copies of a copy of a lamer copy.

Everything’s said and done before.

Everything’s happening faster.

You’re struggling to keep up the…

Well, wait, what?

Why write anything, really? Why sit down to type the words? Why not just automate, VA & repurpose?

The answer is annoyingly simple:

You’re human.

I’m human.

And you and me crave other humans.

(every once in a while)

We’re tired of the robots, the fake, and the lifeless.

We wanna connect - and feel again.

We don’t get particularly excited….

About that standardized AI update in your inbox 7 days through Sunday.

So if you’ve always wanted to send newsletters that are personal, relevant & entertaining…

That make people binge your words, laugh, and actually remember you…

It’s your lucky day!

Today, I’m sharing my style of personal branding meets storytelling meets news editing….

So you can make your emails cool again.

BUT FIRST.

Let me take you back… to the original content creators.

See, I got a professional history in television. In other news:

7 years of being trapped in underground editing rooms of popular German broadcast stations, piecing together the story of the day.

Now…

If I can make Monday morning traffic strikes & the 1001st press conference (saying absolutely nothing) look interesting…

I can send newsletters that make you feel.

(hehe)

serious traffic strike on a Monday

See, news editing taught me something crucial:

You can't tell a story without seeing a story.

Words alone don't cut it. You need:

• Formatting keeping your attention

• Visuals supporting your message

• Structure building tension

• Details making you feel

So when cutting scenes for television, every decision shaped our story:

The angle. The footage. The details. The focus.

But the evil part??

Now I use THAT to hook you on my emails.

Instead of another dry "business update"...

I show AND tell my story.

And you can do the same.

Prepare pen & paper, hold on to your phone…

My 4-part anti-framework for newsletters people hate*:

*mainly cz they didn’t write them

1. The Intro (say hi)

Introducing…

Your first chance to bond. Think real life:

This is small talk on the elevator - or catching up with a friend.

very real newsletter example

What’s happening here? -

You're not writing a corporate update -

You're starting a conversation.

Ideas to get you typing:

• 3 things that happened to you this week

• Comment on a trending or relevant topic

• A quick win, a laugh - or some drama

2. The Story (Behind the Scenes)

This is your moment to take them behind the scenes.

To make them feel part of your journey.

To show off more of your day to day…

and connect over shared rants.

Check this one (extra graphic):

Notice how I'm not just telling a story about a cow giving birth.

I'm:

• Building tension

• Adding time markers ("4:45 pm")

• Making you feel the panic with me

Now, you don’t have to tell farm stories. How about…

• Business wins/fails

• Drama on your feed

• Client situationships

• Random daily stuff that taught you a lesson

3. The Value (I tried this so you don’t have to)

Here's where 97% of newsletters screw up:

Most authors separate value and entertainment - as if you can't have both!!

(Spoiler: for the sake of this breakdown, I've done the same. But here's the truth:)

Entertainment IS value.

It's what actually makes people remember you and your words.

That’s why for each bit of traditional “value”… you add equal bits of entertainment.

(skipping this will get you ignored)

Now, here's where it gets interesting:

While AI can help you outline, edit, and even generate ideas...

It can't replicate YOUR way of entertaining.

(trust me, I've tried - my AI poems were impressive but nobody lost sleep over them)

That's your edge in 2025.

But let me show you:

from my newsletter “what bugs me about your welcome sequence”

See?

Not just another "how to write welcome emails" guide -

I actually subbed to 5 different sequences and turned my market research into lessons.

The value can be anything:

• Your experience (my favourite: "i tried this so you don't have to")

• Breakdowns & frameworks you've discovered (or invented)

• “How I”: Processes and systems that actually work for you

And the best part?

This style of emails doesn’t just make people love you -

It actually sells your stuff.

Let me prove it to you adding 1 last step:

4. The Offer (since we’re already here….)

Your whole email is leading up to this point (even if you didn’t know it yet).

Why waste a perfectly good story without… pitching your offer?

You’ve set people up to want more of you…

So now’s your chance to play just that.

Watch me segway shamelessly:

Your CTA can be:

• Direct (shameless segway, “buy my stuff”)

• Indirect (natural progression into your offer)

• Just building connection (& farming replies) with a PS: ”how about you like tapped this button and told me…”
  
  

you’ll notice i love shameless

So summing up my anti-framework:

1. Intro (say hi)

2. Story (behind the scenes)

3. Value (i tried this so you don’t have to)

4. Offer (since we’re already here….)

“Cool steps you got there, Lessa, but here’s the thing…”

Yes yes I hear you.

I’m not trying to productize you.

Now here's what really drives this home:

→ You gotta make it YOUR OWN. ←

I broke my own rules in this post:

• Skipped step 2 to build tension

• Told my backstory throughout

• Still kept you reading, right?

Here’s the thing:

↳ You use structure to support your personality - never to replace it.

Look.

Building a personal brand in 2025 isn’t optional anymore.

Being 1 of 1 is your superpower… and unfair advantage (one newsletter at a time).

Play that in your emails.

See why people hate how much they love these emails?

But wait.

Remember how I said… every piece of value needs equal entertainment?

Well.

I've got a visual storytelling checklist for you.

(so you'll never stare at a blinking cursor again)

It shows you:

• What to talk about in your emails (when life's boring)

• How you keep people excited to hear from you

• Which elements to add to truly stand out

Subscribe to Get Your Checklist

No thanks I love writing emails nobody reads

xx Lessa

PS - If you made it down here… you're gonna crush your newsletter game.

Subscribe now

This Sunday Spotlight is brought to you by Airtable: my favorite software on the planet.

Airtable is a web-based platform that allows you to build databases, automate simple tasks, and share + publish dashboards to the web.

It’s the best of google sheets, and the best of Notion, combined into 1 tool…along with even more features for scaling your business.

I use it for each of the 5 businesses I currently manage: from Sales CRMs, to Social Media Automations, to Project Management, to Newsletter Production Systems…

It’s my “business in a box.”

Inside my community The Automation Lab → I give away my entire Airtable system.

Plus, I show you how to get $2000 worth of free Airtable credits! This is 8 years worth of Airtable…for free.

A quick 25x ROI, just for being a member inside our community.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Come join us at The Automation Lab today.

~ Ryan

Here's a scenario I see too often:

A business owner is struggling with sales, so they do what seems logical - they double down on sales tactics.

More calls. More follow-ups. More "value-adding" touchpoints. More "proven" closing techniques. More payment plans. More $X.99 price tags. More DMs. More scripts.

More, more, more, MOARRRRR.

And what happens?

Usually, more of the same. Or worse!

Look, you can choose to keep banging your head against the wall with extra sneaky sales tactics, getting those marginal, incremental "improvements" that barely move the needle. Or… you can grab a shovel and start digging for better answers.

Banging your head against the wall = bloody forehead
Digging for better answers = some sweat on your brow

We both know which option will hurt less.

I’ll share a counterintuitive truth:

If your sales are struggling, stop selling.

The problem might not be your selling. The problem might be that you're even selling in the first place, when something more fundamental is broken.

Do I have you leaning in yet?

Good, let’s get to it.

But First…

The Trust-First Paradox

Every time you push a sales message before earning buyer trust, you're actually making your job harder.

Way harder.

Think about your own buying behavior…

When you sense someone is trying to sell to you before understanding your needs or establishing credibility, what happens? Your guard goes up. Your skepticism increases. You start looking for reasons to say no.

And you get really pissed off at their arrogance: “I can’t f*cking believe that guy!”

(Well, maybe that’s just me.)

Your prospects are doing the EXACT. SAME. THING.

According to research from the Edelman Trust Barometer, business trust is at an all-time low. The research shows that 63% of people need to hear company claims 3-5 times before they'll believe them.

And here's the best (well… worst?) part - that number goes up when the claims come through obvious sales channels.

(I’m speaking to you, LinkedIn-ers)

The 3 Trust Gaps Killing Your Sales

1. The Expertise Gap

When you lead with sales tactics instead of genuine expertise, you create a massive credibility problem. One a little bandaid can’t fix. Your prospects can sense when you're recycling generic advice versus speaking from deep understanding. This manifests in sales conversations as hesitation, "I’ll think about it" responses, price sensitivity, and constant objections.

The fix is not another sales script. It's demonstrating real, deep expertise before you ever ask for the sale. Prove you understand their situation - and explain how you can help resolve their bottlenecks.

It’s about building trust, FIRST.

2. The Proof Gap

Standard testimonials aren't enough anymore. No one cares about all the nice things people have to say about you. My mom has a lot of nice things to say about me. Big whoop. Everyone has dozens of great reviews. You can’t rely on those anymore. On top of that, we also live at a shitty time in history where fake reviews are rampant. Now, buyers need more substantial evidence. They need to see:

1. Detailed case studies showing your process, not just results

2. Third-party validation from credible sources (e.g., DMing your clients directly)

3. Transparent sharing of both successes and limitations of your service(s)

4. Visual frameworks and roadmaps that are proven to work and easy to grasp

5. Clear, measurable outcomes backed by data

3. The Alignment Gap

This is where your message doesn't match reality. Maybe you claim to be a premium service provider, but you still compete on price. Like saying you sign $25,000+ consulting gigs but you won’t stop spamming your $17 Notion swipe files with mind-numbing email sequences for your $97 power-hour upsells that just so happen to always be expiring “in 24 hours.”

(I just got tired typing that out)

Orrrrr…. you promise high-ticket personalization but deliver templated solutions.

I can keep going, but you get the point.

This misalignment creates cognitive dissonance that kills trust before you ever build it. People might never say it to your face, but they see it. They feel it. And that prevents them from buying.

The Trust-First Framework

Instead of focusing on sales tactics, this is what we do with our clients at Graewolves:

1. Audit Your Trust Signals:

• Review all customer touchpoints

• Identify where you're making claims without sufficient proof

• Map out where prospects typically express doubt

• Pinpoint where in the customer journey people drop off

• Document and assess your current trust-building assets
  

2. Build Your Trust Infrastructure:

• Develop some real thought leadership content

• Create detailed case studies that show your process

• Build systematic ways to demonstrate expertise on a weekly basis

• Establish clear differentiators backed by evidence

• Do deep market research, so you’re always whispering into your ICP’s ears
  

3. Measure Trust Indicators:

• Track engagement with your thought leadership

• Monitor changes in sales cycle length

• Document objections and how they evolve over time

• Measure price sensitivity in conversations (any lingering price objections?)

• Record your sales calls. Are leads excited to speak to you, or does it still feel like you’re trying to sell plush teddy bears to poker-faced Black Ops assassins?

(Pst! If you’ve gotten this far… you might wanna know when our $50K website drops! Join our waitlist here ->

https://graewolves.com

When Should You Return to Selling Again?

You'll know you've built enough trust when:

1. Prospects start referencing your content in sales calls

2. Your expertise becomes part of the conversation naturally

3. Price objections decrease

4. Sales cycles begin shortening

5. Referrals increase without you directly asking for them

Again, LOTS of research on this shizz, but this ain’t my newsletter - it’s Ryan and Leo’s. So I’ll settle down.

“Great Milly, now wtf do I do next?”

Start here:

1. Pause any aggressive sales pushes

2. Document every doubt or objection you've heard in the last month

3. Map out where you currently have proof points for each

4. Identify your biggest trust gaps

5. Create a plan to systematically fill all of those trust gaps

Trust isn't just another sales tactic. It's the foundation everything else builds upon. You can have the best sales techniques in the world, but without trust, you're just pushing harder against a door that's locked from the inside.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours.

Banging your head against the wall = bloody forehead
Digging for better answers = some sweat on your brow

We both know which option will hurt less.

Build trust first, and watch how much easier selling becomes.

Much gratitude to Ryan + Leo for letting me smack talk in their newsletter.

And a special thank you to my hubby Jason Dellatolla for his PhD-level attention to detail in the editing process.

Muchas gracias, gents!

- Milanie (call me Milly!) Grae

Co-Founder of Graewolves
www.graewolves.com

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Everyone’s buzzing about AI Agents these days—there’s a ton of hype floating around, but also a lot of (too much?) information.

That’s why I decided to write this article—to finally set the record straight on what AI Agents really are, when to use them, and why you probably doesn't need them yet. Let's cut through the hype and focus on what actually works.

And to make it crystal clear, I’ll use the content creation process as an example. After all, what’s more important for growing an online presence than putting out great content?

Let’s dive in.

The Automation Gap in Content Creation

Traditional automation is the digital version of a set-it-and-forget-it coffee pot. You pour in your grounds, set the timer, and get the same brew every day:

• Chatbots answering FAQs with canned lines.

• Pre-set blog or social posts that go live at fixed times.

• Automated email drips that follow a predetermined sequence.

It’s handy for handling the grunt work—until you need to deal with a curveball (like a surprise viral tweet or last-minute industry news). Once something “off-script” happens, your automation throws its hands up and says, “That wasn’t in the recipe!”

Understanding AI Agents: The Next Evolution

AI agents take a leap beyond the prewritten scripts. Powered by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Deepseek and whatever shows up next week, these systems can:

• Brainstorm fresh content ideas (not just spit out the same quote cards each week).

• Learn from audience interactions, comments, and trends.

• Use various tools to plan, revise, and publish content.

• Pivot on a dime if something hot pops up online.

These agents aren’t just following a recipe—they’re like a creative partner who can workshop ideas with you and fine-tune them based on real-time feedback.

It does sound some voodoo stuff sometimes I know…

Two Types of AI Systems for Your Content Strategy

Basically, there are two main differences:

1. Workflow Systems (“Smart Automation”)

These operate on a known path (a workflow), but with a bit of intelligence thrown in.

Example: Content Scheduling & Distribution

• Traditional Automation: Auto-schedule your blog posts for the week, same time, same place.

• Workflow AI: Monitors engagement analytics and suggests the best times to post based on when your audience is most active. It might even break a long blog post into micro-content for social platforms, adjusting as it goes.

Real Business Case
I have a client who runs a fitness brand. She uses a workflow system that:

• Crafts tweet threads from her weekly long-form posts,

• Tracks engagement rates,

• Adjusts next week’s posting schedule if her audience was more active on weekends.

It’s still partly on rails, but the system’s flexible enough to optimize when it sees better openings.

2. Autonomous Agents

Think of these as your “creative sidekicks” that can do almost everything short of taking your photos and filming your TikToks (for now). They:

• Devise entirely new content ideas on the spot,

• Learn from comments, shares, and likes,

• Tap into design tools or analytics software as needed,

• Adapt to trends or real-time news without waiting for your manual input.

Example: Full-Blown Content Management

• Just watch the movie I, Robot (I’m kidding)

• Traditional Automation: Post the same quotes or promotional images on social every Monday.

• Autonomous Agent: Brainstorms new angles, tests out different headlines, modifies your visual style based on what’s resonating, and even suggests collaborations with other creators who fit your brand’s vibe.

When Automation Is Actually Better Than AI Agents

Let’s be real—automation might seem less exciting than AI agents, but it has some major advantages:

1. Reliability

   • Automation does exactly what you tell it to do

   • No unexpected "creative" decisions

   • Consistent results every time

2. Cost-Effectiveness

   • Lower implementation costs

   • Minimal maintenance required

   • Predictable monthly expenses

3. Simplicity

   • Easier to set up and modify

   • No black box decision-making

   • Clear cause-and-effect relationships

4. Control

   • You define the rules

   • Predictable outcomes

   • Easy to troubleshoot

Where AI Agents Might Make Sense (Eventually)

Yes, AI agents are powerful. They can:

• Generate fresh content ideas

• Adapt to trends in real-time

• Learn from audience interactions

• Make autonomous decisions

But ask yourself: do you need all that complexity for your current operation? Chances are… probably not.

The Smart Way Forward: Automation First

Instead of jumping on the AI agent bandwagon, try this approach:

1. Maximize Your Current Automation

   • List all your repetitive tasks

   • Identify automation opportunities

   • Set up basic workflows

   • Optimize based on results

2. Add Intelligence Gradually

   • Implement analytics tracking

   • Use data to adjust posting times

   • Create dynamic content rules

   • Build responsive workflows

3. Only Then Consider Agents

   • Identify genuine needs beyond automation

   • Start small with one specific task

   • Test thoroughly before expanding

   • Keep automation as your foundation

Implementation Strategy: Start Smart, Stay Practical

Remember: You don't need a bazooka to kill a bird (and btw, don’t kill birds). Your content strategy needs more reliability and consistency than cutting-edge AI capabilities.

1. Audit Your Current Process

   • What tasks eat up most of your time?

   • Which processes are truly repetitive?

   • Where do you need human creativity?

2. Automate the Obvious

   • Start with scheduling and distribution

   • Add engagement monitoring

   • Implement content repurposing workflows

   • Set up performance tracking

3. Measure What Matters

   • Time saved through automation

   • Content consistency

   • Engagement rates

   • Real business results

The Bottom Line

While AI agents are fascinating, they're often overkill for most content creation needs. Smart automation, thoughtfully implemented, can handle 90% of your requirements more reliably and cost-effectively.

Start with solid automation fundamentals. Master them. Optimize them. Only then, if you still have specific needs that automation can't meet, consider exploring AI agents. Remember: sometimes the simplest solution is the smartest one.

This approach follows one of the most powerful mental models in problem-solving: Occam's Razor. If you have never heard about it, in short, it states that when faced with competing solutions, the simplest explanation (or solution) is usually the best one.

And hey, if your automation is working well, maybe you don't need to jump on the AI agent bandwagon just yet. After all, you don't use a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame.

~ Leo

Hey Autopreneur!

Ryan here…just stopping in to say hi. We’re retooling the newsletter to start talking / teaching more about AI Agents…and Leo is leading the charge.

If you’re looking to grow your brand & business using AI & Automation, here’s how we can help:

1. “The Automation Lab” → our community will teach you how to use AI + Automation the right way, when growing your business in 2025 and beyond. You’ll learn the AI systems that helped me earn upwards of $40k per month as a 1 person business.
   
   No programming or previous technical experience is required…we give you a daily action plan to put all your marketing, sales, and delivery systems in place. Join here today: https://www.skool.com/the-automation-lab

   

2. Email Marketing Mastery → and I will be teaching an 8 week cohort on our complete, client marketing systems. It’s not 2018 anymore…every business needs a highly leveraged email marketing system…or you’re hemorraging revenue by the hour.
   
   By the end of these 8 weeks, you’ll have a completely automated email marketing system that transforms your prospects from consumer to client…so you can start earning revenue on autopilot. Fair Warning: This cohort will sell out.
   
   Join the waitlist here to secure your spot in line → https://form.typeform.com/to/k0zmgBNE

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Written by Jacob Pegs: CEO of Mojo Design & founder of the Modern Maker.

When I started creating content, I thought the best way to prove my expertise was to give away as much value as possible.

I’d break down strategies, share step-by-step guides, and show people exactly how to do things.

And while this approach built trust, it didn’t drive sales the way I expected. My audience was learning from me — but they weren’t buying from me.

I grew my LinkedIn from 0 to 45,000+ followers in a year. But followers didn’t equate to cash collected.

That’s when I made a small but powerful shift in my content strategy:

Tell Them What, Not How

Why This Works

Your prospects don’t just want to learn — they want to try. When you share how to do something in your content, you’re giving them everything they need to take action on their own.

For info-products and services, this can backfire. Here’s why:

• They feel like they’ve already gotten what they need.
  If you hand them the entire blueprint, they don’t see the need to pay for more. They’ll save your post, feel satisfied, and never come back to buy.

• They get stuck in “DIY mode.”
  Even with the best advice, most people struggle to execute on their own. But instead of asking for help, they try (and fail) in silence — because you’ve made it seem like they should be able to figure it out.

The solution?
Stop focusing so much on the how and start giving them the what.

The Cheesecake Recipe Analogy

Let me show you how this works with a simple example.

Imagine you’re sharing grandma’s cheesecake recipe:

When You Share the How (Step-by-Step):

• 2 tablespoons of sugar

• 1 glass of milk

• 500g of cheese

Your audience is thrilled. They thank you for the recipe, save the post, and head to the kitchen to try it themselves.

But what happens next?
They don’t need anything else from you. They’ve already got the instructions, so why would they pay for more?

When You Share the What (The Story):

Instead, you post something like this:

“Last weekend, I visited my grandma. We sat in her cozy kitchen, catching up over her famous cheesecake. That recipe has been in our family for decades, and every bite brought back memories of childhood summers. It’s the kind of cheesecake that turns a regular Sunday into something magical.”

Suddenly, your audience isn’t thinking about how to make cheesecake. They’re thinking:

• “What’s this recipe she’s talking about?”

• “How can I get it?”

• “Where do I find this magical cheesecake?”

You’ve created curiosity and desire — not just for the recipe, but for the experience behind it.

Applying This to Your Business

If you’re selling info-products or services, the same principle applies:

• When you tell them how:
  They’ll try it themselves.
  They’ll save your post, thank you for the advice, and move on.

• When you tell them what:
  They’ll want the next step.
  They’ll DM you, click your link, or sign up for your offer — because you’ve sparked curiosity and shown them the outcome, not the instructions.

Real-Life Example

Let’s say you’re selling a course on building a profitable online business.

The How Approach (Step-by-Step):

• “Here’s how I grew my audience to 10k in 3 months:

1. I posted consistently every day.

2. I used these 3 content frameworks.

3. I DM’d 20 people a day.”

People might save the post, try these tactics themselves, and never feel the need to buy your course.

The What Approach (Outcome-Focused):

• “3 months ago, I was struggling to get any traction with my content. Today, I have an audience of 10,000 who engage with every post — and it’s all thanks to a simple framework I discovered. That framework changed everything for me.”

Your audience now wants to know:

• What’s the framework?

• How can I get it?

• Where can I learn this from you?

By sharing the what — the result and the transformation — you create curiosity and leave them wanting more.

When to Use This Strategy

This approach works best when:

1. You’re selling info-products or high-sophistication offers.
   Your audience already knows the basics. They don’t need another “how-to”; they need a reason to take the next step with you.

2. You’re nurturing curiosity and desire.
   If your goal is to spark interest and generate leads, focus on outcomes, benefits, and experiences instead of instructions.

3. You want to create urgency.
   When people don’t know how to achieve the outcome themselves, they’re more likely to act now — by clicking, buying, or reaching out.

Balancing the What and the How

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should never share the how. Teaching step-by-step processes still has a place in your content strategy — especially when you’re building trust and growing your audience.

The key is balance. Mix things up:

• When you want engagement: Teach the how.

• When you want conversions: Focus on the what.

Simplify to Amplify

This small shift in your content strategy — telling them what instead of how — can have a massive impact on your results. It’s what helped me hit 5-figure months, and it’s something I continue to use today.

Next time you’re crafting a LinkedIn post, ask yourself:

• Am I giving them everything they need to do this on their own?

• Or am I sparking curiosity and making them want more?

Simplify your content to amplify your results. Give them the what, not the how, so they need you right now.

~ Jacob

Hey Autopreneur!

Did you enjoy this deep dive?

Jacob was one of the first marketing coaches I hired back in 2023.

In fact…

The very same strategy that he just taught you?

Was the exact reason why I paid him thousands of dollars for his 1 on 1 coaching program.

Which brings me to an exciting announcement:

Jacob and I will be teaching an 8-week cohort together!

We’ll be helping you build a complete email marketing system that will have you selling your offers on autopilot & publishing high-quality content with ease.

We’re obsessed with money-making email strategies…

And this cohort will give you the same systems that helped Jacob and I earn a combined 7-figures in revenue (as solopreneurs) these last few years.

But there’s only 1 downside…

With our audience of over 100,000, this means we have to limit the number of seats available for each cohort.

So when the doors open?

This cohort will sell out…fast.

If you want to get on the waitlist before everyone else…

Fill out this 30 second form and reserve your spot in line!

Catch you next week, Autopreneur.

~ Ryan Hutchinson

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Holy shit.

January 2025 might have been the longest month in my human existence.

I promised you monthly updates on my new “newsletter” business & the funnels attached to it, as well as areas where I need improvement.

A lot has changed, and even more is changing for February…so without beating around the bush…let’s get into the numbers.

Revenue Update:

For our reporting purposes, I’m treating anything that happened before January 1, 2025 as null and void.

This is a new year, new publication style, and new funnel…

Therefore, we’re going to act as if this was a brand new business I’m starting from scratch.

Here’s the results so far:

The Automation Lab - Community

• 17 new members

• Monthly Recurring Revenue = $1245

• 0 Churned

• January Goal = 30 new members

  • Fell short of the goal by 13 members.

My initial goal, having never run a subscription community before, was 30 new members inside the community. We had a nice little surge of new joiners at the beginning of January, mostly because of seasonality.

I figured, 1x a day is a steep but doable goal, but I didn’t do any outbound whatsoever…which in hindsight would have probaly put me at the goal.

The Skool Community landing page URLs are only shared in 3 places:

1. YouTube video descriptions

2. LinkedIn featured section

3. Substack articles & signoffs

I’ve collected feedback, and a majority of these new members are coming in 2 different funels:

Funnel 1 = LinkedIn → Newsletter article → Binging YouTube videos → Skool Purchase

or

Funnel 2 = YouTube / LinkedIn → binging Newsletter articles → Skool purchase

It’s interesting to see where people “found me.”

The 1 consistency is that almost all of them told me “I binged your content and then signed up.”

This is why I loved the video + newsletter play so much…it just works. It nurtures a new subscriber faster than any short form Tweet or LinkedIn post could ever do.

Besides…is “binging” LinkedIn posts even a thing?

Areas for Improvement:

• The Skool “About Us” page is basically the only landing page for this offer…and I haven’t updated it in months. I could do a better job explaining more about the community and what’s inside of it on this lander…it needs an update ASAP.

• I’ve been so busy writing newsletters, building our operations, and providing content & community service that I stopped doing any outbound prospecting. For Feb, I’ll be slowly doing some more follow ups to people who said they were interested in the past but haven’t joined.

• This “90 Day Autopreneur” course is my Holy Grail. It’s also the most challenging offer I’ve ever tried to create → Some of the classroom modules I’ve recorded, then had to re-record 3 or 4 times when I would uncover holes in my own systems.

• I want my students to be on the clearest path as possible to owning and building their fully automated business models. Because of this → I’ll be removing old modules within the community, and only including this 90 Day Course as the core content.

1 to 1 Private Business Coaching:

• 2 new students at current price

• Revenue = $6000

• Available coaching spots left = 1

I only promoted the coaching in 1 (maybe 2?) newsletters for the entire month of January, because those 2 slots sold out within the first week.

However, I have a few coaching clients off-boarding in the next 60 days, and will only be taking on 1 more coaching client at this current pricing.

My mentor told me last week, “It’s time we add more friction.”

…and he’s exactly right.

Areas for Improvement:

• Coaching for me is less about revenue and more about the fulfillent of helping someone else win. However, now that I’ve stopped taking on agency clients (done-for-you), any coaching clients I decide to take on will need to be more “aligned” with how much my time is actually worth.

• The amount of time I currently invest into helping my coaching clients, I’m actually losing money downstream. I started my coaching offer at $3000 for 6x hour long calls and mistakenly said, "That’s $500 an hour.” But what actually happens is I end up giving away automations, building a few, spending more time answering questions inside of emails and DM’s, and just generally doing solo-work and research to make sure my students have the best experience possible. My “real” coaching rate ends up around $175 an hour. I could either start putting a time limit on how many off-call hours I devote to each new student, OR, like I said above just increase my total offer pricing. Still unsure on this yet.

• 2025 was for me the “Year of Increasing Leverage.” Unfortunately, as much as I do enjoy it, and with some students getting a 25x ROI on their coaching investment…1 to 1 coaching is simply not a scalable offer. I’m considering a joint venture into group coaching with another “famous” digital entrepreneur you all most likely know and love. Our partnership would flip the business coaching world on it’s head, and provide a complete, 360 degree business mentorship for people looking to earn more and scale a business online. More on this to come…

Newsletter Sponsorships & Affiliates:

• 4 Sponsorship Meetings

• 0 Sponsorships Contracted

• (Unknown) Affiliate Revenue

Wow. I had no idea that selling ad revenue (organically) to a newsletter would be so difficult lol.

Maybe I’m just not great at:

A) Selling it.

B) Promoting it often.

C) Making the offer compelling.

But in reality, the Truth is probably:

D) All of the above.

Areas for Improvement:

• I’m probably being too protective of what I’ve built. But I believe your attention isn’t worth some cheap “space-filler” sitting at the top of this newsletter. Whoever we partner up for advertising is going be a company, brand, or software that is actually useful to you. I refuse to partner with just anyone who has the money. But there’s a catch-22 here…the sponsorship revenue would essentially fuel more growth in the form of ads. So being overly picky, might be a bottleneck to growth.

• I only included a few affiliate links in maybe 2-4 newsletter articles. I need to do this way more often. Most of the time, I’ll forget and include a link to the product…only a week later realizing I have an affiliate link to it. Gotta keep a better system for accessing my links quickly, and also the back offices to which I can grab numbers for reporting purposes. I legit have no idea how much I made in the last 3 months from affiliate links! LOL

All in all its been an awesome month.

We upped our content from 1x week to 3x. I built a small team of people across two separate business units. Launching the best (and last) course I’ll ever create. Gotten plenty of high praise from people I respect in the industry. And met some kick ass entrepreneurs along the way.

We’re even changing the newsletter format to be more of what you want, versus what I initially thought you wanted.

We’re going to feature more AI Agent content, and less overall “news” content

Keep following along this journey, and share the newsletter with a friend who might like to read it:

Share

Finding Ways to Protect Your Time

Most marketers and digital gurus will offer blanketed advice like:

“Don’t ask for a first name on your landing page and you’ll get more email signups!”

“Your about me section should have links to everything you offer.”

“Have different price points at every step of the customer journey, to increase LTV.”

But you know me…

When everyone goes right, I tend to Think Left.

I’ve been finding ways to introduce more friction, to make it harder to reach me.

And I highly suggest you do the same in 2025.

I suggest you create a business model that no one has ever thought about yet.

One filled with friction between you and everything clammoring for your time. One that serves you exactly what you want, on a silver platter. A business model that you start and stop during set hours & days of the week.

This is why a few months ago I stopped doing any calls on Mondays and Fridays.

I left corporate because I hated meetings…12 months later…I had meetings scheduled every morning again 5 days a week.

“How did I get here again?”

Today, unless you’re buying a one-time strategy call from me, or a potential business partner, close colleague, or client…

It’ll be borderline impossible for us to “catch up over zoom.”

Eminem is arguably the greatest rapper to ever exist.

And if you haven’t heard this story, I suggest you listen to this interview told by famous recording artist, Akon, when they worked together on a record:

As a fellow musician, an ambitious entrepreneur, and someone who is 100% dedicated to my task…This Totally Resonates With Me.

I used to write and record songs until 4am because I would be totally engulfed in the creative process.

We get so caught up in building a business, or trying to squeeze out that last little bit to finish up, that we forget we’re sacrificing tomorrow’s energy for today’s completion.

The internet glamorizes the “grind bros” and the “Hormozi nation” people who somehow think that running our batteries to 0 everyday is the best way to build a business.

Or that the only way to becoming internet famous is to be visible 24/7.

It’s not.

Introducing friction to your outside world, to your customers, and to your devices → is the only way you’ll survive in business.

Imagine how difficult it was for Eminem…when he actually set this 9 to 5 boundary on his business.

I imagine he’s locked in the studio, writing another platinum verse, fully emersed and in a flow state…

And then the alarm goes off, “REET REET! REET! REET!”

It’s 5pm and he has to pack up for the day…right in the middle of a certified banger.

Easy to say you’ll do…

Even more difficult to actually put into practice.

Too often we treat our clients, our audience, our comments section, our customers, our business partners…

As if they were more important than our health, our families, and our own lives.

I’ll give you a great example of someone fully dedicated to friction:

Sean D’Souza.

Sean is one of the OG’s of digital marketing. I’ve been a huge fan for years. Using Sean’s psychotactics in your marketing is like playing chess, while others are playing tic-tac-toe.

He runs a “workshop” business model. Just he and his wife.

The goal?

Earn $500,000…then take the rest of the year off.

He’s not creating social media content, he’s not writing daily emails, he isn’t promoting his latest skool community…

The guy feels like a complete ghost.

When I first deconstructed his business model…my jaw hit the floor.

It's just too simple.

“Does this really work?”

I said to myself in disbelief. I’d been programmed by the Gary Vee’s of the world that the only way to success is by banging your head against a wall all day until it broke.

But more often than not it was my head…not the wall…that would cave in.

Check this out:

Sean runs a live workshop on a specific topic. He even sells the past workshop recording as a digital “course” on that topic, and will open the doors to purchase these courses sparingly throughout the year.

On his website you’ll find the entire list of currently offered live workshops / courses:

His entire schedule of offers is listed, through 2027, in just half a website page.

Then he gives you the 2 reasons why you should act quickly when the doors open:

No shit.

I’ve been on Sean’s email list for years and I maybe get 1 email a month, then a few more when he opens the doors to the workshop I’m waitlisted for.

So unfortunately that Landing Pages course you’re really excited about?

Yeah…you’re waiting until October 2026 to have a chance at buying it.

But what if you didn’t want to wait that long? What if you just wanted to buy the cartooning course he’s running at the end of 2025?

You can’t.

When you click on the link to buy you get directed here:

After you sign up for the waitlist, you get a simple email:

Thanks for signing up, we’ll let you know when we open it up the doors.

That’s it.

Sean “sells out” his courses in this way, before anyone even hands him a dollar.

By the time the doors open you rush to purchase so fast…that you never stopped to realize Sean engineered the sales process this way. He plays on your psychological desires to “not be left out” wondering when, and if, he’ll ever run that workshop again.

He isn’t building some 7 or 8 figure personal brand. He isn’t trying to be internet famous…

He’s shooting for $500k…then the year is done.

Minimalistic marketing at its finest.

Friction.

You and I both need more of it.

We need to stop rushing to our phones to respond to DM’s, to stop replying to every comment on our posts, to turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode and go deep into 1 or 2 big projects.

We need to charge WAY more for direct access to us.

Try booking a coffee chat with Justin Welsh…it’ll cost you a mortgage payment for an hour of his time.

Oh, and after you pay? You still only get like 3 questions to ask him (more friction).

Go out and buy 40 Tesla dealerships…and I guarantee you Elon would never even know your name.

The more distance between you and the world, the more valuable you become by default.

Less supply = greater demand = higher prices.

Consider this scenario for a moment:

If the doctor told you tomorrow that you had 1 week left to live…

How much would you charge someone for an hour of your time?

You might not even offer an hour of your life.

It would be priceless.

These are all questions to start asking yourself about how you run your own business.

Remember: You’re not an AI. You weren’t built to answer every human request around you. Or to respond to every notification that begs for your attention.

You’re a brilliant mind.

A beautiful soul.

A person of immense value.

Introduce more friction at your front door.

And watch the world respect you for it.

~ Ryan

If you made it this far…maybe you’re looking for more?

I want to help you achieve your business goals for 2025…here’s two ways we can work together:

• Community & Courses:

  My latest course, “The 90 Day Autopreneur,” will take anyone at any level of experience, and teach them how to build a fully automated business model in just 90 days. Follow my complete daily action plan, filled with templates and downloads, and level up your AI & Automation skills.
  

• 1v1 Coaching with Ryan:

  If you’re stuck on a business problem, and can’t find the answers you need in my free content…then I’ve got a methodology to help your business grow inside any niche. Click the link above to learn about some of my coaching clients and their success stories.

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You’re not starting from zero.

When you transition to Substack from LinkedIn, X, or any other platform—you’ve got an advantage compared to brand new creators.

Here are two of your unique advantages:

First, you can bring your audience with you for some quick growth—Ryan and I discuss 6 ways to do so here.

Secondly, you potentially have months of proven content waiting to tap into. This lets you bypass the dreaded blinking cursor and worry over what to post.

Today, we’ll show you how to design a 90-day content calendar using your top-performing content from LinkedIn and X.

If you’re ready, let’s dive in.

Days 1-30 have already been written for you.

As long as you can hit copy, and paste, your first 30 Notes are written.

Realistically, I’d start with 30 days. In reality, you might have months’ worth of content for Substack Notes to pull from depending on how long you’ve been posting on other platforms.

Notes are kinda of like X, but on Substack.

There’s an activity feed almost identical to X where you can post text, images, and videos, and like, comment, and restack (Substacks version of a retweet or repost).

And since there is no character limit it makes an easy content transition from either LinkedIn or X where the same couldn’t be done (as easily) if you were migrating from LinkedIn to X or Threads for example.

We will use a couple of tools to make this quick and easy.

Kleo, if you’re on LinkedIn.

Tweet Hunter X, if you’re on X.

These two (free) browser extensions allow you to view your top content.

See the screenshots below.

You can sort by likes, comments, and shares on Kleo.

While filtering by your top content, copy the URL into a content calendar (I use Notion, Ryan uses Airtable).

Do this for at least your top 30 posts.

That gives you your first month's worth of content. However, let’s say you’ve been posting for 4 years and have hundreds or thousands of posts… Well, you’d be wise to repurpose more than 30 days worth.

Now, you may have noticed this isn’t 100% automated. As of writing, Substack has a closed API, there are no apps or scheduling features built for Notes.

Try this:

• Copy the URL from Kleo or Tweet Hunter X into your calendar.

• Each morning, copy and paste the content into your Substack Notes.

This is the first thing I do when I sit down at my laptop every morning while I sip my Nitro Cold Brew.

Don’t just take my word for it, here’s proof that this works.

The post below was my first viral Note on Substack:

Not many people know this, but this post was originally written and posted on LinkedIn. Once it did well, I repurposed it to Substack Notes.

Receiving over 1,500 likes and 85 shares on Substack, this Note has generated hundreds of new subscribers, and 5+ months later it still gets engagement.

Now, let’s move on to creating your first long-form posts.

Your outline for 90 days of Substack Posts.

Substack offers a unique blend of short-form and long-form content.

Many creators that leverage LinkedIn or X, do so as a way to build their email list or newsletter. Substack offers you both, within a single platform.

Think of it like this.

Substack Notes are short(er) form content.

Substack Posts, or newsletters, are for long(er) form content.

Over the last year, they have continued to expand their feature set beyond text newsletters to include video and podcasts with direct integration to YouTube.

While you can write all net new posts if you want, you have the outline for at least 90 days’ worth of posts at your fingertips.

If you’re coming from LinkedIn, and you had a LinkedIn newsletter or posted articles? You can repurpose these directly on Substack. If not…

We will expand our top 10-12 posts into Substack posts/newsletters.

Our top-performing short-form content such as LinkedIn posts, tweets, or Substack Notes, is the perfect place to find long-form content ideas.

Because they’ve been proven to work.

If you recall, the viral post I shared in the previous section, after seeing its success, I used this as the outline for a newsletter.

Instead of expanding on the same topic (one option), I wrote a post about my lessons learned from going viral. You can read it here:

Landon’s Letters

I Went Viral On Substack, Twice — Here’s What I Learned.

Thank you for reading; I keep everything here free and easy to access—no strings attached. If you find it helpful, the best way to support is through a restack or recommending the publication—it makes a big difference. Enjoy…

Read more

2 years ago · 505 likes · 215 comments · Landon Poburan

This newsletter became the most popular one I’ve ever written.

It’s been read over 4,600 times and received 435 likes, and 187 comments and generated my Substack 122 new subscribers.

Here are a couple of other examples.

I wrote a Note on why I turned off Substack Monetization, which was somewhat of a controversial opinion. Watching it do well, I turned it into a post.

You can see the Note here.
You can see the post here.

I wrote a Note on treating Substack like a video game, then I turned this into a full-length post after seeing the good performance it received.

You can see the Note here.
You can see the post here.

So, to get started with your first 90 days of long-form Substack posts, here are the fastest 3 ways to utilize your existing content.

• Repurpose LinkedIn Newsletters/Articles.

• Expand your top 10-12 posts into Posts/Newsletters.

• Answer the top questions your audience has asked in comments or DMs like I did with this post.

By now, you should have a packed content calendar.

But there are a few things I want you to do to ensure your publication is set up right to maximize your growth.

Don’t ignore the simplest optimizations when starting on Substack.

The more you grow, the more important these become.

Substack, much like LinkedIn and X, benefits from a well-optimized profile.

A few simple 1-time tweaks can build the foundation of a Substack that creates a compounding growth effect with every new subscriber.

Here’s your to-do list:

1. Write your about page.

2. Update your homepage links.

3. Update your navigation bar links.

4. Update your new subscriber welcome email.

5. Update your theme with a featured CTA section.

Start treating Substack like your website or at least an extension of it.

Hint: Most of this content you’ll migrate from LinkedIn or X profile.

You can leverage your about/bio as your about page.

You can pull the links we used on those platforms, our top lead magnets, and digital products and update the links on our publication to direct people to them.

And you can turn your LinkedIn featured links into featured posts on a publication home page.

These simple profile optimizations in combination with adding relevant links within posts have allowed me to add 100s of downloads to my lead magnets, sales for my products, and books without spending a penny on advertising.

With every new subscriber and visit to my profile they are introduced to additional ways that I can help them on their journey—you can do the same.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step tutorial, you can find one here.

90 days is just the beginning, here’s exactly what to do after that.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Substack isn’t much different than LinkedIn or X.

The growth strategy isn’t too different than what you were likely doing on LinkedIn and X. This is great news because you might not need to change your habits.

The biggest difference—many people don’t even realize—is that Substack is not only a writing and social platform, it’s an email list. You own your list, and you can export and retain the emails of all your subscribers.

Let’s review a common approach to LinkedIn and X.

• Post daily (5-7x/Week).

• Optimize profile for goals.

• Incorporate 1-2 CTAs per week min.

• Engage with other accounts (ex: 10+ comments per day)

• Engagement groups can accelerate reach and growth.

• Experiment with various content types, formats, and mediums.

  • Images, videos, decks, etc.

• Re-use top content.

• Model what content works.

• Assess content performance weekly.

  • Reuse, spin, and repurpose your best posts, hooks, and angles.

  • Follow trends that emerge over time.

That’s pretty much how we grow on Substack.

While there are varying stages depending on where you’re at, if you followed that plan above you’d effectively be in what I’d call “Expert” mode on Substack.

And if I had to bet? I’d bet you’d be growing.

Whether you batch your content or spend 30-60 minutes daily writing, I’d recommend a mix of the following as a starting point:

• Post 1x Weekly Newsletters.

• Post 3-5+ Weekly Notes.

That’s a baseline recommendation.

Notes are a growth engine, and your newsletters are for depth.

Then as you want to get spicey, you can explore more advanced growth strategies such as:

• Daily Notes.

• Repost high-performing posts.

• Expand Notes to Posts.

• Re-write “moderate” performing Notes to improve performance.

• Write guest posts/collaborations.

• Generate recommendations.

• Incorporate 1-2 CTAs per week (min.)

• Engage with other accounts (ex: 10+ comments per day)

Consistency is the key component.

Now, here’s something important to remember.

What ‘works’ is constantly evolving. Assess your content to see what is working and what isn’t. See what the top creators are posting and model their behavior.

Every piece of content is a piece of data.

So I recommend assessing your performance on a regular cadence (ex Weekly) and looking for trends in content topics, formats, and structures, and with time you can begin to zero in on what works best for your publication.

I know the transition to a new platform can be daunting, but I hope this makes it a little more manageable.

Landon

PS - If you’re looking for more content ideas, this should help:

Landon’s Letters

I’ve Written 270+ Days In A Row — Here’s My Secret To Endless Idea Generation

Writing streak: 270 days…

Read more

a year ago · 35 likes · 22 comments · Landon Poburan

Hey Autopreneur - it’s Ryan here, checking in.

This is a solid strategy for finding what “works” across social media platforms. Landon puts the emphasis back on optimizing for what the reader likes, versus optimizing for a “style” of post that the algorithm is pushing.

The results are a high quality subscriber for your brand…more trust…more reach.

If you’re looking for more content systems like this, and want to know how to build sales and marketing automations…

I’ve just launched a new course inside The Automation Lab:

The 90 Day Autopreneur

My goal?

Teach anyone…with any level of business experience…how to go from beginner to advanced in entrepreneurial systems.

In just 90 days.

It’s a daily action plan from day 1 through day 90.

Did I mention there’s literally zero programming skills needed?

You don’t even need to have a business yet to get started.

You’ll build an online business using foundational concepts, and then mold and adapt the systems to fit your needs…

All while learning how to automate the tasks hate doing.

Week 1 was just released…and I’ll be slowly increasing the cost as more course modules get published.

Join 43 of us inside The Automation Lab today:

https://www.skool.com/the-automation-lab

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It’s Friday, January 24th—time to catch up on some good AI stories from this week (and maybe your next big opportunity).

This week: DeepSeek’s open-source reasoning LLM is redefining what’s possible with AI—offering tools that tackle math, coding, and workflows without breaking the bank. Meanwhile, a $500 billion AI mega-project kicks off in the U.S., Anthropic secures (another) billion-dollar boost, and OpenAI’s new web-browsing agent promises to handle the tasks you don’t want to.

Here’s what’s in today’s issue:

• Stargate: The $500 billion plan to dominate AI.

• Anthropic’s automation-heavy roadmap for 2025.

• DeepSeek’s reasoning models (and why they matter to you).

• Perplexity Sonar Pro API: Real-time accuracy redefined.

• OpenAI’s Operator: AI that clicks, types, and scrolls.

Let’s dive in. And don’t keep this to yourself—share it with a friend who needs to be in the know!

As always, reply with your thoughts—I’m at leo@theautopreneur.co.

Trump + OpenAI + Oracle + SoftBank = Stargate Project

Read in 4 minutes here

Donald Trump announced the project with those happy guys on the back (the big players: OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank).

In short: $500 billion is being poured into AI and infrastructure across the U.S.

What do you think $500 billion can buy? Your GI Joe collection, for sure—but in this case, the plan is to build cutting-edge AI infrastructure through twenty massive data centers across the U.S., creating 100,000 jobs and solidifying American dominance in AI.

The project, already under construction in Texas, promises game-changing capabilities for AI applications, from health tech to AGI development. OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have committed $100 billion for immediate deployment, while the remaining $400 billion will be paid in installments over the next 179 years… Just kidding! But Elon Musk isn’t. He’s casting doubt on whether the remaining cash actually exists.

Sam Altman clapped back, calling the initiative “great for the country” and inviting Musk to visit the construction site. And just like that, the drama begins.

Here’s the bottom line: With 100,000 jobs on the horizon and a focus on data centers, this project signals a massive opportunity for AI tools, apps, and services that will leverage this infrastructure. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to dive into The Automation Lab community and learn about AI, automation, and entrepreneurship, this is it.

Need another reason? Keep reading.

Google invests $1bn in AI startup Anthropic

Read in 4 minutes here

I know, I know—$500 billion to just $1 billion? But stay with me, because this might be more relevant to you than you think…

Anthropic just landed another $1 billion from Google, bumping the tech giant’s total investment in the AI startup to $3 billion.

While Google is doubling down, Anthropic is also in talks to secure another $2 billion from investors like Lightspeed Venture Partners, pushing its valuation to a staggering $60 billion. This move places Anthropic firmly in the AI arms race, alongside heavyweights like OpenAI and Amazon.

But here’s why you, my fellow autopreneur, should care: Anthropic’s roadmap for 2025 includes the game-changing "Virtual Collaborator" system. This tool promises to execute workflows, write and verify code, and integrate effortlessly into your favorite apps like Slack and Google Docs.

Translation? Automation, automation, and even more automation—which means more opportunities for you to make money.

Talking about competitors…

Subscribe now

Have you tried DeepSeek yet?

Build a Perplexity clone in 90 minutes

If you’re in the AI space and haven’t tested DeepSeek yet, here’s your wake-up call. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab making waves with its cutting-edge reasoning models, just launched DeepSeek-R1, an open-source powerhouse designed for complex problem-solving like math, coding, and step-by-step reasoning. You wouldn’t mind having another weapon in your arsenal, would you?

If you are skeptical like Elon Musk, don’t take my word for it—check out this post on X of a Perplexity clone built with the DeepSeek reasoner and Cursor, without a single line of code. It’s open-sourced, easy to replicate, and just might be your inspiration for next automation project.

And since we talked about Perplexity…

Perplexity’s Sonar Pro API Is Here

Don’t get left behind, read it here

Perplexity’s Sonar Pro API combines LLMs with real-time web-wide research for unparalleled accuracy. Developers now have access to cutting-edge features like customizable sources, JSON mode, and search domain filters. Sonar Pro delivers in-depth, multi-step queries with double the citations and a larger context window, making it ideal for enterprises needing precise, nuanced answers.

Examples of Sonar in action? Companies like Zoom use it for live Q&A during video calls, while Doximity powers research-backed tools for doctors. Its factuality score leads the industry, ensuring trust and reliability.

Now that I think about it, that Perplexity clone doesn’t seem so cool after all, but…

Have you heard about Operator?

Read it here in 5 minutes

It’s OpenAI’s new AI tool. Think of it as an assistant that doesn’t just generate text—it actually interacts with websites like a human would.

It can click, type, scroll, and handle tasks on its own, like booking trips, filling out forms, or even managing repetitive workflows. All you do is describe what you need, and it handles the rest, handing control back to you only when necessary, like entering passwords or confirming a payment.

What’s cool is that it’s powered by this model called CUA (Computer-Using Agent), which allows it to “see” the web through screenshots and interact with interfaces in real-time. And OpenAI has built a ton of safety features into it, so it won’t just take random actions without your approval. Right now, it’s available for Pro users in the U.S., and they’re refining it based on real-world feedback.

But here’s why this matters: the idea is to actually do things for you on the web. And soon, developers will be able to use its model to create their own agents for all kinds of applications.

That’s all for our edition of the Friday AI Forecast.

We publish articles 3x per week:

• Wednesday (workflows and operations)

• Friday (AI updates & trends)

• Sunday (business strategy)

…teaching you how to use AI inside your Business.

See you on Sunday, Autopreneur.

~ Leo

Let us know if you liked today’s content, comment below!

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This Workflow of the Week edition is brought to you two of my favorite tools…

Both of these have saved our team thousands of hours and brought in hundreds of leads:

Linked Helper → The Safest LinkedIn Bot I’ve Ever Used

Linked Helper is the most technically advanced platform for LinkedIn automation with a focus on security, a wide range of features, and exceptional customer support. Whenever I have a question, their team gets back to me with a solution with in minutes…something I can’t say for most other tools out there! Trusted by over 10,000 businesses worldwide.

Instantly → Hands-Free Cold Email Automations

Instantly helps you find warm leads, scale email campaigns, reach primary inboxes, engage smarter and win more with AI. I’ve been using this tool for almost a year now, and am constantly impressed with the speed of their updates, and how easy it was to build and manage automated cold email systems for myself and clients. We turned on this campaign and built a 1.4 million dollar pipeline in 10 days with this tool.

Interested in advertising with us? Check out these sponsorship opportunities here.

This week’s workflow is coming in HAWT!

This past week I had a crazy idea for a workflow…

One that I don’t see many people in the “cold email” biz talk about much.

A fully automated system that will help me grow the newsletter, without wasting money on ads or relying on the organic algorithms to get me traffic.

Not only is this going to be a workflow that I built and test for this newsletter, but it’s also one you can get pretty creative with.

Whatever your main goal is for finding, attracting, and speaking with prospects…

You can build it with just two automated tools.

Use them separately and you’ll see some success.

Or use them in tandem to create a God-tier level system that delivers 7+ touchpoints to prospects without you doing anything.

Trust me → I know how stupid that sounds…

But literally this runs all day long for me, and takes me about 20-30 minutes a week to maintain and manage.

Almost as good a pairing as:

• Peanut Butter & Chocolate

• Coffee & Donuts

• Cheese & Wine

Ok…maybe not PB & Chocolate…but its up there.

My Fully Automated Workflow to Try and Grow this Newsletter:

Instead of dropping a boring “step 1 + step 2” wall of text…

Just watch this video and learn how I combine both LinkedIn Automation + Cold Email Sequences to get in touch with prospects.

I’ll be building, testing, and deploying this new system…

And sharing the results with you at the end of the month.

Here’s the workflow diagram for the new system I’ll be battle testing:

https://whimsical.com/cold-email-strat-increase-subs-sponsors-and-traffic-RF89mSvcZKqMWA9goEq8z4

This Workflow of the Week feels illegal to know about.

I can’t wait to see the results!

If you found this insightful → share it with a friend or colleague who could use some better systems:

Share

You gotta make me 1 promise though…

That you’ll use your new superpowers for good, Autopreneur.

See you Friday,

Ryan Hutchinson

Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to our newset community members who joined The Automation Lab:

• El Amin Daouda: Cloud Solutions Architect

• Steve Butler: Systems Coach for Therapists

• Shawn McLoughlin: Solopreneur & Creator

• Kerry Morrison: Ex-CMO and Startup Exec

These entrepreneurs all wanted more for themselves in 2025…and took the first step by joining our growing community.

If you’re interested → join us here and get access to my new course “The 90 Day Autopreneur.”

I’ll give you everythign you need to build a fully automated business, that provides the flexibility and financial freedom you’re looking for in business ownership.

If you’re reading this but haven’t yet subscribed, join 1959 ambitious entrepreneurs learning to build & automate their digital business with AI Systems:

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Written by special guest contributor, Tom Harman → Panic Attack & Anxiety Mentor

AI meeting summaries often feel cold and impersonal.

But if it could make your business more human—and more profitable?

Over the past 2 years, I’ve built a business that helps people develop 'creative confidence' and put the ‘personal’ back in personal branding.

If you’re a creative individual, like me, then you know that overwhelm can often lead to anxiety and panic attacks…

As if the walls are caving in around you.

I needed a way of simplifying my side hustle. And along the way, I discovered the secret to staying present in every interaction, even while juggling a full-time job, family life, and growing a business.

For my clients to succeed, I need to be fully present during 1:1 video interactions.

Not worrying about recordings, not clicking buttons immediately after the meeting ends, and not feeling responsible for writing lengthy follow up emails.

I’m not a super technical person, and don’t want to rely on automations to run my business. I like to keep my delivery process as simple as possible.

So instead, I use AI to allow me to bring the most valuable skillset from parenthood to the business world:

The ability to be present.

AI makes me a better listener.

(Even if my wife doesn’t agree…)

I don’t take notes or rely on AI note-takers to find what’s useful from our call. Instead, I capture everything within 1 prompt.

In order for the client to feel “heard,” we want all 11,258 words of the 60 minute conversation. We don’t want to send them the same meeting summary that they most likely received from their own AI note-taker.

With the help of a basic ChatGPT prompting workflow, this is possible.

I do this by using only 2 tools: Google Meet and ChatGPT Plus to save time and deliver a unique, yet highly valuable follow-up action plan:

For $20 a month.

The Workflow:

It starts with Google Meet for recording the meetings.

I host calls on Google Meet and use its built-in recording & transcription tool (included with a $20/month plan).

After I click this button, the full meeting transcript lands in my inbox after the call.

You can use any meeting recording tool, as long as you get the complete transcript as a document or email after the call.

Ok, now what?

It’s time to open ChatGPT.

I don’t want to send a quickly thrown together summary. I also don’t want them getting the same basic AI summarization that everyone else uses.

As more and more people use these AI summary tools, sending something “different” after the call is the easiest way to stand out from the flood of other average coaches and consultants.

Plus…my clients deserve more than average coaching.

Inspired by James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter, I created a framework to deliver value-packed reports after every call:

• 3 Actionable Insights → tied directly to their goals.

• 2 Thought-Provoking Questions → to get them thinking about the solution versus the problem.

• 1 Actionable Step → they can implement immediately and feel like they’re making progress toward their goal.

Clients feel heard, supported, and ready to take action.

Here’s my simple “3-2-1” follow-up prompt:

You are a career entrepreneurship coach with 20 years of experience and a specialization in human performance. 

I will provide you with a call [TRANSCRIPT] to analyze and summarize. Your task is to produce a concise, actionable email summary optimized for clarity, focusing on the user’s goal.

My client's goal is [GOAL].

Your Task:
Extract 3 actionable insights from the transcript that directly relate to the user’s goal. Ensure each insight ties back to their goal. Be specific.

Provide 2 thought-provoking questions that challenge the user to think critically about strategies or actions that could directly lead to achieving their goal based on the discussion.

Suggest 1 actionable step for this week that aligns with their goal and leverages the insights provided.

Format the output as a professional, engaging email. Use numbered bullet points for clarity and conciseness.

Only output the task and no additional language.

Additional Guidance:

Prioritize practical, outcome-driven advice.

Tie reflections, gratitude, or personal experiences back to their main goal.

Avoid generic advice—focus on strategies that directly engage the user’s target audience and foster authentic connections.

Let’s think step by step.

Do you understand?

It creates a simple report that makes your clients feel like they’re being heard and not processed.

The results speak for themselves.

Thanks to this simple process, I’ve increased my revenue from $100 to $1000 a month.

The value lies in taking an extra step, to show up different, to not settle for being average with your clients.

And the best part → the rate increase was my client’s idea!

All thanks to a brilliant thinker (James Clear), a GPT Prompt, and a meeting transcription.

AI now gives me peace of mind.

I’m not juggling odds and ends in the delivery process:

• Show up and listen.

• Paste transcript + prompt into ChatGPT

• Send 3-2-1 email to the client.

Taking notes and worrying about tools during a client meeting is the fastest way to lose critical information.

Being present, especially inside the therapy space, is you’re superpower.

Use this GPT Prompt and get back to focusing on what matters → the client.

Now get out there and 10X your revenue.

Tom

Side note - If building a unique prompt for your business feels intimidating…

Check out last week’s newsletter from Tim @ Penfriend.

It blew my mind.

Hey Autopreneur!

Ryan here…

Hope you enjoyed this simple coaching prompt from Tom this week.

And as if the universe was listening…

I actually ran into the exact problem that Tom discussed here.

Just this week I sat on a delivery call, installing a cold email system for a client of mine…

During the last moments of the call, my client said “And I owe you $1000 correct?”

I told him yes that I would be sending over the invoice for the final payment installment…

But I also said to the client, “As a side note we actually just raised our offer price on this up to $3500 for these cold outreach systems…”

I merged a line of business with another entrepreneur, and we built the infra and the team around productizing our delivery & systems offer.

It was a simple back and forth, joking with the client.

Then we ended the call, and Fathom sent the client the recording summary.

Inside the summary was a “next steps” section…

With a bullet point that said “Ryan will send the invoice to (Client name) for $3500.”

The client emailed me pretty pissed off and confused, not knowing that this was a mistake on the part of an AI summarizer.

AI tools are supposed to make us more efficient, more productive, less robotic in our delivery process…

But they also make mistakes.

If you’re looking to create your own automated meeting summarizer that includes Tom’s prompt, and drafts the email for you automatically…

Then check out last Wednesday’s workflow here:

I’m also building my next and last course I’ll ever create.

The goal?

To take someone brand new to online business, and have them create a fully automated, functional business in 90 days.

Once that course is released inside the community → membership pricing will go up drastically.

So if you’re sick of trying to “figure it out” yourself…

Join 41 other entrepreneurs inside The Automation Lab, and get access to all my 40k per month business systems, AI tools, and automation templates.

You don’t need a business or any technical expertise to join, we welcome everyone from total newbies to subject matter experts...

Like these beautiful humans:

If you’re reading this but haven’t yet subscribed, join 1924 ambitious entrepreneurs learning to build a viable business with AI & Systems:

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It’s Friday, January 17th—time to dig into the tech stories everyone will be talking about next week…

Here’s what’s on the menu: A Chinese startup is stepping into OpenAI’s ring with bold moves, ChatGPT is one update away from running your to-do list, and “silent” AI agents that will only ping you when they have a question.

Meanwhile, Wall Street is gearing up for AI layoffs that could leave 200,000 people rewriting their résumés.

In today’s issue:

• MiniMax’s mega ambitions—4 million tokens and a license to disrupt.

• ChatGPT’s scheduled tasks—because your brain deserves a break.

• Ambient agents—finally, AI that knows when to shut up.

• Wall Street’s AI overhaul—job cuts, big profits, and tough choices.

Let’s dive in.

Oh, and don’t keep the fun to yourself—forward this to a friend! And as always, hit us up with your thoughts at leo@theautopreneur.co

MiniMax Unveils AI Model with HUGE 4 Million Token Limit Per Run

Read in 4 minutes here

MiniMax just raised the bar in AI with its new open-source MiniMax-01 series, including a model that can process a staggering 4 million tokens at once—enough to handle the equivalent of a small library in a single exchange. This blows past Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and is a game-changer for building smarter AI agents that can handle long, complex tasks.

The punch? MiniMax’s pricing is shockingly low, making it accessible to developers who’ve been priced out by competitors like OpenAI. Their models are also built with a fresh architecture, Lightning Attention, which makes them faster and more efficient for real-world applications.

By open-sourcing these models, MiniMax isn’t just showing off its tech—it’s inviting developers to experiment, collaborate, and push the limits of what’s possible with AI. If 2025 is the year of AI agents, MiniMax is setting itself up to lead the charge (prove me wrong OpenAI).

ChatGPT Scheduled Tasks: Your Digital Life Organizer

Read in 4 minutes here

ChatGPT’s new scheduled tasks feature could be a game-changer for solopreneurs, creators, and freelancers looking to reclaim their time while staying productive. Available on Web, iOS, Android, and macOS (with Windows support coming soon), this tool lets you automate reminders, daily updates, and other repetitive tasks. Imagine having ChatGPT brief you on AI news every morning or remind you about a client meeting without lifting a finger (actually you must lift a finger).

Setting it up is simple: Head to your profile’s “Tasks” section, create a prompt like “Send me a daily list of writing prompts at 9 AM,” and let ChatGPT handle the rest. You can edit, pause, or delete tasks anytime, and notifications will keep you updated. Whether it’s via email or push notifications, you’ll always stay on track.

The only problem is that you can only have 10 active tasks at a time, and usage counts toward your GPT-4o plan limits. But even with these constraints, the potential to streamline your workflow is huge. No more forgetting important deadlines or spending time on repetitive tasks. You can focus on what truly matters: growing your business.

This is still in beta, so features like file uploads or voice chats aren’t supported yet. But if you’re serious about saving time and building a sustainable work routine, this feature is worth exploring.

Subscribe now

The Future of AI Is “Silent” Agents…and They’re Already Here:

Understand ambient agents in 4 minutes

Here’s how LangChain’s new ambient agents (have you heard about it?) concept could reshape how we interact with AI. It’s noi the traditional AI app that rely on you to initiate every interaction, ambient agents operate in the background, acting on signals and only reaching out when they detect something important or need input. The goal? To reduce unnecessary interruptions and let you concentrate on what matters most.

LangChain demonstrates this idea with an AI-powered email assistant that flags critical emails, drafts replies for your approval, or asks for missing details before taking action. This thoughtful “human-in-the-loop” design ensures the agent learns your preferences, mimics natural communication patterns, and prevents costly errors—like sending an email without your consent. You maintain control, while the agent handles repetitive tasks (you can try it btw).

LangGraph, LangChain’s platform for building these agents, supports features like persistent memory (so the agent doesn’t forget ongoing tasks), human feedback loops, and cron jobs for scheduled checks. It’s designed to be flexible, enabling you to build agents that don’t just respond to you but actively work alongside you. Their email assistant is now available as a hosted service or open-source project, offering a starting point for developers and a productivity boost for users.

For solopreneurs and creators, this could mean fewer distractions, smarter workflows, and AI tools that truly feel like partners. It seems ambient agents are the new hype.

The State of Enterprise AI

Don’t get left behind, read it here

Here’s what sets AI leaders apart—and why it matters to solopreneurs and creators trying to level up their workflows. A recent survey by MIT and McKinsey found that top-performing companies succeed with AI because of four core strategies: executive sponsorship, strong partnerships, effective cross-department collaboration, and meticulous data management. These factors aren’t just for big corporations—they’re lessons in how to maximize resources and implement systems that deliver real results.

First, leadership matters. AI leaders often have direct involvement from CEOs or boards, guiding efforts and making decisions even when ROI isn’t immediately clear. For solo operators like us, this translates into being intentional about our goals and staying committed to (implementing) AI-powered strategies, even if the payoff isn’t instant.

Second, partnerships accelerate progress. Successful companies leverage both internal teams and external experts to fill knowledge gaps and scale faster. For solopreneurs, this might mean talking to someone with a similar audience and brainstorm ideas to grow together, or using platforms designed to streamline AI integration—think automations or plug-and-play AI apps that save you time.

Finally, data is the foundation. Top companies don’t just collect data—they organize and optimize it for actionable insights. For solo creators, this could mean setting up simple systems (like those inside The Automation Lab) to track content performance, audience engagement, or business metrics. Organized data leads to better decisions, whether you’re fine-tuning a newsletter or scaling a product.

The takeaway: focusing on what moves the needle: the fundamentals, - not the minor details.

Is there an AI Layoff Wave Incoming?

Read the full drama here

Artificial intelligence is set to shake up Wall Street, with global banks potentially slashing up to 200,000 jobs in the next three to five years, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The roles most at risk? Back-office, middle-office, and operational tasks—essentially any job heavy on routine and repetition. While full job elimination isn't in the cards, expect a significant workforce transformation as AI takes over repetitive tasks and reshapes customer service and compliance roles.

For banks, the bottom line looks brighter. Generative AI is predicted to boost productivity and revenues by at least 5%, translating to a $180 billion bump in pre-tax profits by 2027. With AI tools trimming costs and streamlining processes, banks like JPMorgan and Citi are betting big on the tech’s potential. Meanwhile, industry leaders argue this shift will augment jobs rather than replace them, creating a future where AI works alongside employees.

Despite the looming job cuts, some see a silver lining. As JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon puts it, AI could dramatically improve life quality—think longer lives and shorter workweeks. But for now, the financial sector braces for one of its most transformative eras yet.

That’s all for our second-ever edition of the Friday AI Forecast.

We send newsletters every week:

• Wednesday (workflows)

• Friday (tech updates)

• Sunday (business strategy)

…teaching you how to use AI inside your Business.

See you on Sunday, Autopreneur.

~ Leo

Let us know if you liked today’s content:

You Might Also Like:

Did you miss Wednesday’s Workflow of the Week?

Learn to build ELITE level prompts…using these 7 easy steps:

I’ve moved all my social audiences to Substack…here’s how you can too:

If you’re reading this but haven’t yet subscribed, join 1907 ambitious entrepreneurs learning how to use AI to grow an online business:

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Last Wednesday, you learned how to use a GPT prompt to automatically keep track of your expenses…

This week, you’ll learn how to use a GPT prompt to move screenshots from your phone and have them post to your website in seconds.

This step-by-step guide below will teach you exactly how to build this workflow…

Even if you’re a complete newbie to AI tools.

You can build this one on your lunch break.

Workflow of the Week:

If you’re dyslexic like me, and you enjoy watching tutorials instead…

Click to watch me build this automation on YouTube here:

Pre-requisites:

• Gmail (or similar email service) with label/tagging functionality

• Make.com account

• I use Airtable as my standalone database for everything…but you’ll need some type of database that can store images.

  • You could also have this automation feed your wordpress site, landing page, or content calendar hosted inside of Notion.

How to Build this Automation:

Building automations & workflows is like building with Legos.

This workflow is a great foundation for some really cool content, marketing, or sales automations.

Here’s how to build it in just 4 steps:

1. Create a “Testimonial Dump” folder in Google Drive.

   • Create the folder where you will be uploading your social media screenshots into.

2. Prepare Your Final Destination:

   • In my example, I’m storing these delightful social media comments inside an airtable database → for use in public dashboards like this one.

   • Create 3 columns:

     • Name: name of the person who gave you the testimonial

     • Status: if the testimonial is publicly visible on your website or not

     • Image: an "attachment” column for storing the actual screenshot file (jpg or jpeg)

3. Build the Automation Workflow in Make

   • Trigger = Google Drive → “Watch For Files in Folder”:

     • Trigger the automation to watch for any incoming files that are newly created.

     • Have it set to watch your “testimonial dump” folder you just created in google drive.

   • Module 2 = Google Drive → “Download a File”:

     • Map the “File ID” to the file from the trigger.

   • Module 3 = OpenAI GPT → “Analyze Images”:

     • Here’s the prompt:

       Analyze this screenshot of a testimonial on social media. You have only 1 task: extract the full name of the person giving the testimonial. You will ONLY give us just the person's name as your output. Do not include any other text or punctuation in your outputs. We only need the name. You must complete this task with 100% accuracy or it's a failure.

     • Map the image to module 2.

   • Final Module = Airtable → “Create a Record”:

     • Map the output of the GPT prompt to the “Name” column

     • Set the status to be either published or not, depending on if you want all new testimonials to be approved first before showing up on your website.

     • Map the “web content link” output from module 2 to the “Image” column inside of airtable.

     • NOTE: you must have the google drive folder publicly shared as “anyone that has the link” or else the image will not get downloaded.

4. Test and Run the Automation

Benefits of this Workflow:

• This is a great starter automation to build, as it takes a task you or your team would otherwise be doing constantly…and automates it from start to finish.

• You start using the comments section of your social media posts or newsletter articles as “Social Proof”

• You increase the engagement and visibility of your brand.

• The sales page or website could have fresh testimonials that look like a carousel of positivity → further showing your authority online.

• You store these screenshots and re-use them in your marketing or social media content.

This should help boost your conversion rates, turn more prospects into customers, and store valuable, brand-boosting compliments from your audience…that otherwise get forgotten about over time.

All you have to do is take a screenshot from your phone, and drop the image into your google drive folder.

The rest is taken care of for you automatically.

That’s it for this week’s Workflow, Autopreneur.

See you Friday,

Ryan Hutchinson

PS - Are you sick of clicking buttons all day?

I was SO bored doing all the manual tasks inside my business, until I discovered the easiest way to automate them...

And after building workflows for hundreds of clients in the last few years…

I’m now sharing all of these automation templates & systems inside our VIP community.

Join people like Steve, who literally joined while I was writing this:

Don’t sit on the fence…because I increase the monthly price every 10 members.

Join The Automation Lab Today.

Written by special guest contributor, Tim Hanson → CCO at Penfriend.ai

I’ve built over 1,500 prompts and prompt sequences over the last 2 years.

I say built, because I have a system to make prompts that work.

In my 3,000 hours writing prompts → I’ve seen patterns in what works and what doesn’t…

What gets great results consistently, and what falls flat on it’s face.

And most importantly, what is the difference between great prompts that do the work for you, versus poor prompts that you waste time creating and never use again.

So for you, fellow Autopreneurs…I give you my entire system.

Use it to build any prompt you want.

Why Most Prompts Fail

The biggest problem with most prompts isn't that they're "bad" - it's that they're incomplete.

People throw a vague request at an LLM and hope for the best. It's like walking into a restaurant and saying "food" instead of ordering from the menu.

The Seven Essential Components

Every prompt needs at least three of these seven components to work reliably:

1. Role

2. Task

3. Steps

4. Context/Constraints

5. Goal

6. Formatting

7. Output

Let's go scuba mode on each one.

At the end, we’ll put it all together into 1 prompting template you can use as a guide…

1. Role: Who's Doing the Work?

Most people know about the ROLE. It’s a common input. You’re essentially defining the box in which the LLM can play in. If you’re vague, you get vague answer. If you’re specific, you get specific answer. Really isn’t much more to it than this.

Bad role: "Act as a writer"

Good role: "Senior technical writer with 10+ years experience in API documentation and developer education"

The difference? The second one gives the LLM specific expertise domains to draw from.

My favourite way to write this is like so:

Adopt the role of X with elements of role Y

A lot of the time when we prompt we’re actually asking the LLM to take into account multiple points of view, or at least one primary role with a couple dashes of other ideas.

“Adopt the role of _____” seems to keep the creativity alive over a prompt like, “You are a ___” which is more rigid and exacting.

It removes a lot of thing thinking and reasoning side of the LLM.

You can, should you wish, go more complex than this on what the role is. BUT, I’ve found it really isn’t necessary.

Give the box a name, don’t build the box from scratch.

2. Task: What Needs to Be Done?

Your Task section needs to be crystal clear about the objective.

One task, one purpose.

Poorly written task: "Write something interesting about AI"

Clearly written task: "Create a technical comparison of GPT-3 and GPT-4's token processing capabilities, focusing on practical implications for developers"

See how the second one leaves no room for confusion?

3. Steps: The Road Map

Steps break down how to accomplish the task. This is optional but powerful when you need specific methodology followed.

Example:

## STEPS

1. Define key technical terms

2. Compare processing speeds

3. Analyze token handling differences

4. Provide practical implementation tips

5. Summarize key takeaways

You can get by without doing this.

The steps section is for when you know how to do a task and need specific things doing every time.

The best way to work out these steps is to do the task yourself. Screen record yourself and talk through the steps. Then throw them into a new prompt asking it to summarise the transcript into steps for you.

Riverside fm has an amazing transcription service and it’s completely free. Highly recommend.

4. Context/Constraints: Setting the Boundaries

Context and constraints tell the LLM what it's working with and what limits it needs to respect.

Example:

## CONTEXT

- Article targets senior developers

- Follows section on basic NLP concepts

- Requires specific code examples

## CONSTRAINTS

- No basic explanations of what tokens are

- Code examples must be in Python

- Keep technical accuracy over accessibility

The boundaries are the walls to your box. They are the things that make the task tangible.

Think about it like this, if I wanted to come up with a business plan to sell 10,000 books this year I could have 10,000 one to one sales calls about my book. But that sounds like a shit way to spend the year.

So my constraint could be “Without spending more than 4 hours a week promoting it”, or “Only suggest scalable 1 to many solutions.”

5. Goal: The End Game

Your Goal section defines what success looks like.

What should this prompt achieve?

Probably the most optional of the sections, but I’ve found having bit here like how do you want it to read, how should it flow, how should it make the reader feel etc have the biggest impact in this seciton.

Example:

## GOAL

Create a technical comparison that enables developers to make informed decisions about which model to use for their specific use case, with concrete examples and metrics.

6. Formatting: The Structure

Formatting isn't about making things pretty - it's about ensuring consistent structure. This is crucial if you're feeding the output into another process (or prompt).

Example:

## FORMAT

- Use H2 (##) for main sections

- Code in triple backticks with language specified

- Key terms in bold

- Metrics in tables

- Examples in bullet points

If you’re using the prompt over and over again, this is the second most important step. You want to copy it into a sheet? Then specify that. If you want it to have bullets, or be broken down in a certain way. Then say it.

Literally give an formatting example to get the same thing over and over again.

7. Output: The Most Important Part

This is where most prompts fall apart.

Your Output section needs to specify exactly what you want to see.

Without this Output section, the LLM will present it’s answers in whatever way it thinks is best.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is merit in this, but we’re after something we can use to replace a job. Something consistent.

This is where the consistency comes from → defining exactly what you’re after.

Example: Technical API Documentation

## OUTPUT

Generate API endpoint documentation with:

- Structure:

- Endpoint summary (50-75 words)

- Authentication requirements

- Request format

- Response format

- Error codes

- Rate limits

- Must include for each endpoint:

- HTTP method

- Full URL path

- Required/optional parameters

- Response object structure

- 3 example requests

- 3 example responses (success, error, edge case)

- Code examples in:

- cURL

- Python

- JavaScript

- Format requirements:

- Parameters in table format

- Code in triple backticks with language

- Response schemas in JSON

- Status codes with emoji indicators

Example: Data Analysis Report

## OUTPUT

Produce a data analysis report with:

- Length: 2000-2500 words

- Required sections:

1. Executive Summary (250 words)

2. Methodology (300 words)

3. Key Findings (1000 words)

4. Limitations (200 words)

5. Recommendations (250 words)

- Each key finding must include:

- Statistical significance

- Confidence interval

- Real-world implication

- Visualization specification

- Technical requirements:

- All numbers rounded to 2 decimal places

- Percentages include sample size

- P-values in scientific notation

- Effect sizes with Cohen's d

- Visualization specs:

- Type of chart for each metric

- Color schemes (primary/secondary)

- Axis labels and units

- Legend placement

- Format:

- Tables for comparative data

- Footnotes for assumptions

- Citations in APA style

- Formulas in LaTeX

Use These to Create Your Master Prompt

Here's our complete prompt example, that uses all seven components we discussed:

## ROLE

Senior technical content strategist with expertise in API documentation and developer education

## TASK

Create a comprehensive guide about implementing rate limiting in REST APIs

## STEPS

1. Define rate limiting concepts

2. Compare implementation methods

3. Provide code examples

4. Outline best practices

5. Address common pitfalls

## CONTEXT

- Audience: Backend developers

- Knowledge level: Intermediate to advanced

- Part of larger API design series

## CONSTRAINTS

- Focus on practical implementation

- Use Python and Node.js examples

- No basic REST API explanations

- Keep security considerations primary

## GOAL

Enable developers to implement production-grade rate limiting with clear understanding of tradeoffs and best practices

## FORMAT

- H2 for main sections

- H3 for subsections

- Code in triple backticks

- Tables for comparisons

- Bullet points for lists

## OUTPUT

Deliver technical guide:

- Length: 1500-2000 words

- 5 main sections

- Each section must include:

- Technical explanation

- Code example

- Best practices

- Common pitfalls

- Must include:

- Performance considerations

- Security implications

- Scaling factors

Copy this prompt above. You can create a template from it to use repeatedly when building your own prompts.

Also, bookmark this article whenever you’re stuck and need help.

The Secret to Scaling

When your output format is precisely defined, you can feed it into other prompts or processes reliably.

Inside our operation at Penfriend.ai, we even use prompts to reformat the output from another prompt, so it works better as the input for our next task in the sequence.

Think of this process like a production line: each station needs to receive materials in a specific format to do its job properly.

Advanced Applications: A Peek Behind the Curtain

At Penfriend.ai, we take this basic structure and build entire systems with it.

We have prompts that generate other prompts, prompts that reformat outputs for the next prompt in the chain, and prompts that handle edge cases.

Here’s the best part: every single one of our specialized prompts still follows this same seven-component structure.

Even our error-handling agents (which catch and fix issues in the output) use these same building blocks. The complexity comes from how we chain things together, not from making the prompts themselves more complex.

If anything we break the prompts down even further, at times going as far to have a different prompt for each step in the “steps” sequence…so we can get crazy granular on exactly what each prompt needs to be doing.

Testing Your Prompts

Want to know if your prompt is solid?

Run it multiple times.

The output should be consistently good. If it's not, look at which of the seven components might need more definition.

The most common issue? Vague output specifications.

If you're not getting consistent results, start by making your Output section more detailed.

Prompt Snippets

There are a bunch of things you can add to prompts to make them work better.

The more you talk to the prompt like a human, the better output you get. Even going as far as asking how good it is at the job you’re asking it to do, and praising it for operating on all cylinders today.

The opposite is also true.

If you have things you don’t want it to do, telling the prompt you’ll fine it $1,000 every time it does something wrong, should remove that issue entirely.

Get Great Outputs, Consistently

Tell the prompt it’s allowed to think out loud, before committing to your formatting.

Prompting the LLM to tell you how it’s working through its tasks, will give you more defined outputs.

And when it’s done with it’s thinking, the AI conforms to the formatting you had before, still giving you a perfectly usable outcome…but now it’s 10x better than it would be otherwise.

Get Started: Creating Your Own Prompts

1. Start with three components: Role, Task, and Output

2. Add others as needed for clarity

3. Be extremely specific in your Output section

4. Test multiple times

5. Refine based on results

Remember: You don't need all seven components every time, but you do need to be specific about the ones you use.

It’s not magic…It’s a system.

Perfect outputs aren't magic - they're engineered .

Whether you're writing a single prompt or building a system of hundreds, these seven components give you a basic structure for reliable outputs.

Start small, be specific, and always define your outputs clearly.

The rest will follow.

Now go build something amazing.

✌️Tim

CCO, Penfriend.ai

Hey Autopreneur!

It’s Ryan here…

Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to our newset community members who joined The Automation Lab:

• Sabrina Ahmed - Burnout Coach & Neuroscientist.

• Jonnie Perry - Ghostwriter for Agency Owners.

• Sivakuma Margabandhu - Aspiring IT Coach.

• Artia Hawkins - Copywriter for Entrepreneurs.

• Michele Parad - Spiritual Business Consultant.

• Max Bernstein - Marketing & Positioning Expert.

• Matt Rubenstein - ECommerce Strategist & Consultant.

• Pushvinder Gill - Retired Telecom Director.

• Jessica Encell Coleman - Human Connection Expert.

• Dana Daskalova - LinkedIn Coach.

• Jay Melone - Growth & Scalability Strategist.

• Chris Mielke - AI Empowered Project Manager.

• Elliot Meade - Human Fulfillment & Lifestyle Design Coach.

These entrepreneurs all wanted more for themselves in 2025…and took the first step by joining our growing community. And they’re getting results:

Living proof that anyone, across any industry, can upskill in AI & Automation.

Join us today and get instant access to my premier AI Systems, Workflows, and Business Strategies to grow your business online.

Hey, hey! It’s Friday, January 10th.

CES 2025 is in full swing, AI is taking fitness routines to spy-thriller levels, and Sam Altman is crowdsourcing what OpenAI should build next. Oh, and humanoid robots? They walk now. Like, really walk.

In today’s issue:

• Tech toys to make you drool (or laugh).

• Sam Altman’s holiday crowdsourcing experiment.

• Fitness meets espionage—thanks to AI.

Don’t keep the fun to yourself—forward this to a friend! And as always, hit us up with your thoughts at leo@theautopreneur.co

From Jump Ropes to Espionage: How AI Makes Fitness Fun (Again?)

Read in 6 minutes here

Brian Westover shares how he used AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, and ElevenLabs to create custom audio workouts that are as engaging as they are effective.

By combining personalized fitness plans with immersive storytelling, he transformed mundane exercises into spy missions and other thrilling adventures. The process involves blending AI-generated research, guided workout scripts, and lifelike narration, all using free tools.

This playful yet simple approach shows how AI can make fitness both fun and personalized.

Billionaire Tech CEO Needs Your Help…

Read in 2 minutes here

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, took to X on Christmas Eve to ask users what OpenAI should build or fix in 2025.

Among the ideas that caught his attention were family accounts with kid-safe guardrails, enhancements to ChatGPT's voice feature for smoother interactions, and improvements to Sora, OpenAI's text-to-video tool. While Altman engages with users on shaping OpenAI’s future, the company also reflects on a turbulent year marked by legal battles with Elon Musk and record-breaking funding rounds.

Subscribe now

The Best of CES 2025: Gadgets, Gizmos, and Furry Friends

Get the scoop on CES Y25 here…

CES 2025 is serving up its annual buffet of tech delights, from AI-powered supercomputers to a handbag-clinging robot with zero functionality beyond being adorably fuzzy.

Highlights include Nvidia's Project Digits, a personal AI supercomputer disguised as a desktop mini that packs enough processing power to make you question your laptop's life choices, and Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, a laptop with a screen that literally grows taller (perfect for stacking two movies, because why not?).

Other gems: LG’s AeroCatTower, an air purifier that doubles as a perch and weight tracker for your cat, and Roborock’s Saros Z70, a robovac with a robot arm to pick up socks—and maybe a little dignity. And let’s not forget the Mirumi: a plushy, bashful bot that just hangs on your purse. Is it useful? Absolutely not. Do we want one? Absolutely.

CES is where innovation meets absurdity, and 2025 does not disappoint.

No-Code Builds: He Went From Idea to Profitable SaaS in 72 Hours

Using only no-code tools…

Can you create a profitable app in just three days?

A YouTuber tackles this challenge using no-code and AI tools, building an AI-powered resume optimizer from scratch. The journey includes brainstorming ideas, validating the concept, designing branding, building the app, and making first sales—all while balancing life as a parent.

Despite technical hiccups and a tight timeline, the creator makes $238 in profit, proving it's possible to launch fast and learn on the go.

Dopamine Kicks for the Week

Humanoid Robots spotted in downtown China:

For $150,000…you can buy a robot girlfriend:

Maybe social media is good for us after all?

That’s all for our first ever edition of the Friday AI Forecast.

We send newsletters every week:

• Wednesday (workflows)

• Friday (tech updates)

• Sunday (business strategy)

…teaching you how to use AI inside your Business.

See you on Sunday, Autopreneur.

~ Leo

Let us know if you liked today’s content:

You Might Also Like:

The complete list of software we use to run our newsletter business:

We went from 10 to 25 new subscribers a day using this social media funnel:

Build this workflow in 10 minutes:

“I’m so excited to do my taxes!”

…said no one ever.

Managing expenses can be tedious, but in today’s Workflow of the Week, you'll learn how to automate expense tracking from your emails, and build a simple AI Bookkeeper that prepares your accounting data.

This step-by-step guide simplifies the process, saving you time and ensuring accurate records—perfect for entrepreneurs looking to streamline operations.

For a step-by-step walk through on how to set this up, please watch this video.

Pre-requisites:

• Gmail (or similar email service) with label/tagging functionality

• Make.com account

• I use Airtable as my standalone database for everything…but you’ll need some type of spreadsheet or expense tracking software, with these 3 columns.

  • (e.g., Airtable, Google Sheets, QuickBooks) with at least these columns:

    • Entity: Who/what you're paying

    • Date Paid: A date column

    • Amount Paid: A currency column

How to Build this Automation:

1. Set Up Your Email Labels

   • In Gmail, create a label for expense-related emails (e.g., "Operations > Software Expenses").

   • Manually apply this label to emails containing expense details.

     • You could also set a “filter” to have it automatically label any messages with the phrase “you paid” or something similar you know is consistent.

     • Example - all my emails from PayPal whenever I buy something are the same subject line and format. I would set a filter for whenever an email comes across from paypal that says “You Paid” to be labeled with “Business Expenses” in gmail.

2. Prepare Your Database

   • Create 3 columns:

     • Entity: who you paid money to

     • Date Paid: date the payment was made

     • Amount Paid: how much you paid

   • Optionally, add a "Type" column (e.g., "Food & Bev," "Software") for categorization.

     • You can do this manually each week or have the GPT prompt (in the next step) automatically label the expenses

3. Build the Automation Workflow in Make

   • Add a “Watch Emails Module”:

     • Trigger the automation to watch for any incoming emails with the specific label you just created.

     • Set the module criteria to "unread emails only" to avoid duplicates.

     • Check the box for “Mark emails as read after processing.”

   • Add an OpenAI GPT Module with your prompt:

     • Use GPT to extract expense details from the the body of the incoming email.

     • Tell GPT to give its output in JSON format (its a programming language), with keys: amount, date, and entity.

     • Here’s the prompt I have inside the video

       • “Analyze this email, and extract the amount paid for a business expense, what date the expense was paid, and to what entity person or business it was paid to. Your output will be in JSON format, and will ONLY include 3 keys: "amount", "entity", and "date". Here's the exact format you will use need to use in your output for each key:

         "amount" = "XX.XX"

         "date" = "YYYY-MM-DD

         "entity" = business name in english spelling & capitalization

         Email Subject: {{map to the subject line}}

         Email Body: {{map to the body text}}”

4. Add a Parse JSON Module

   • Use a "Parse JSON" module to separate the extracted data into usable variables: amount, date, and entity.

   • Simply map it to the output of the GPT module and it will do the rest.

5. Add your Finance Software or Expenses Tracking Database (Airtable for me)

6. Map from the “Parse JSON” module the: amount, date, and entity variables to the corresponding database columns.

7. Test the workflow by running it with labeled expense emails.

Optional Add-On’s

1. Create an Expense Dashboard inside Airtable

   1. Build a visual dashboard in Airtable (or similar) to track total expenses, categorize spending, and analyze trends.

   2. You can also have your revenue and income flow into this dashboard, to keep track of profitability.

Benefits of this AI Bookkeeping Workflow:

• Automates expense tracking from emails to a database.

• No more loose ends and hours wasted communicating with accounting or doing your taxes…its prepared for you in real-time.

• Eliminates manual data entry by extracting the email & expenses data with GPT.

• Saves hours on bookkeeping and reduces human error.

• Perfect for solopreneurs and small businesses to who need to know the “numbers” & cash flow.

See you in the next Workflow of the Week, Autopreneur.

Ryan Hutchinson

Psssst…Hey You.

Yeah you…

You tired of clicking buttons all damn day?

Want to outsource the work, but don’t have money to hire?

What if you could get automations like this (and many more) pre-built for you?

I’ve got tons inside our community…systems that will work 24/7 for you → that you can copy and paste into your business. Step foot inside our community, The Automation Lab, and start creating your own 40k per month systems:

(Don’t wait…membership price goes up at 40 members. Click the image below to join us.)

Want to watch instead of read?

Most new AI tools today aren’t worth paying for.

Very few of them work well…but most will slow you down.

Rather than spend the time to research, use, and determine whether or not you want to keep the software, I figured it would be helpful to show you what’s under the hood here at The Autopreneur.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars on software and AI tools in the last 2 years alone.

My background in Data Science allows me to quickly try out new tools, and then determine whether or not it should be used inside our business.

If you read last week’s deep dive on my “1 Goal Theory”, then you know I’m in the process of tearing down my other businesses and offers…

In order to pursue 1 Single Goal.

I’ll be focusing all my energy, capital, and labor into helping 100,000+ readers inside our newsletter.

If you subscribe, we’ll teach you how to build more efficient businesses with simple tech & tools.

So after combing through all the software we use, and eliminating stuff we won’t need…I decided to make a comprehensive list that will help you build a lean operation, without wasting time with the wrong tools.

My priority with our newsletter business is to keep the software as simple as possible, using only battle tested software that will still be around in 3 to 5 years.

Subscribe now

Here’s what’s in store for this week’s Sunday Spotlight:

• The 26 Tools I Use to Automate My Newsletter Business

• 5 Unique Ways I’m Planning to Monetize this Newsletter

• Sharing My 2025 Revenue Results - Establishing the Baseline

…plus a free dashboard I built just for you.

Let’s dive in.

Our Brand New Tools Dashboard

Here’s a comprehensive list of the tools I’m currently using inside my newsletter business:

https://airtable.com/appOT4PeAX3qFObZB/shra6xSjoOueJTiFm

**This dashboard looks best on desktop, mobile isn’t great for viewing.**

I’ll also be updating this list often with new AI & Automation tools we’re researching, and providing demos inside of our Friday newsletter edition, The Founder’s Digest.

You can bookmark and use this dashboard whenever you want to lookup a new recommended tool.

If you have any suggestions for software that we should research → please comment below and we’ll add it to the list.

Costs of Our Current Tool Stack:

As of January 5th, 2025…

• 26 total in active use

• 7 tools we’re researching and testing

• Monthly subscriptions = $236.40

• Yearly subscriptions = $19.00

• One-Time Payments = $970.00

• Monthly Costs of Tools in Testing = $188.00

• NOTE:

  • Make = Free Until November 2025

  • Airtable = Free Until $2000 in credits are used up.

  • Keep reading below for more info on this…

The 26 Tools We’re Using to Run The Autopreneur

Here’s a list sorted from cheapest to most expensive.

For more detailed analysis on these tools, please watch this video and follow along with the dashboard or list below.

1. Substack

   • Newsletter hosting platform

   • One-time $50 payment for custom domain

   • Moved my newsletter from ConvertKit over to Substack to get more visibility & growth.

2. Cal

   • Free plan

   • Booking system

   • Replacing Calendly’s basic plan with Cal’s free plan for same usage.

3. Airtable

   • $30/month per user, but I now have it free for 3 to 4 years.

   • Content calendar, CRM, Automation capabilities, Data Analysis, and a ton more use cases.

   • Want $2000 of Airtable credits free? Join the Automation Lab and find out how…

4. Make

   • $19/month, but I have this free for a year.

   • No-Code Automation platform of choice. 

   • 99% of my business automations run through Make

   • Want 240,000 tasks and the premium tier free for 1 year? Join the Automation Lab and find out how…

5. Thrive Cart

   • $500 one-time payment, then you own it forever.

   • Checkout pages & simple funnels. Also has course hosting capabilities.

   • Using it for my 1v1 coaching checkout pages.

6. Telegram

   • Free

   • Internal team communication

   • Replaced Slack, we have a small team and most people like simple messaging platforms over large teamwide comms platforms.

7. OpenAI API & Claude API

   • One-time credit purchases.

   • Used for insert automation prompts and AI modules inside of Make or Zapier workflows

   • Can automatically “top up” your credit balance with putting a card on file.

   • **Different than ChatGPT or Claude’s chat product

8. Stripe & PayPal

   • Payment processors

   • Revenue-based fees

   • I like that PayPal gives you a business debit card too.

9. Tally Forms

   1. Free form builder

   2. Simple forms that you can create from scratch for websites or Notion docs.

   3. Been recently using this for agency (before shutting it down) proposals and having clients provide signature inside the Notion doc.

10. Fathom

• Free version

• Meeting recorder with great prompts & summaries attached

• Automation capabilities and can build inside of Zapier

11. OBS (Open Broadcasting Software)

• Free video streaming & recording

• Higher quality video recording than loom, most streamers use this.

• This is for my high production value youtube videos.

12. TurboTax

• Yearly tax filing software

• Pay one time, per use basis, no subscription. Maybe $280 last year?

• Been using for like 10 years and don’t see myself changing anytime soon.

13. Apify

• Limited, but useful free plan.

• Web/social media scraping, Content research

• Can setup scraping “actors” built by experts and use them in your make automations

14. Gamma

• Free plan is all you need

• Lead magnet creation, simple documents, embedded links & pay links. Their AI value adds are complete trash.

• I use this for YouTube presentations, workshops, sharing documents, and lead magnets.

15. Whimsical

• Free Flowchart software - one of my new favorites

• Using it for building internal operations workflows, and training others on processes.

• This may replace Notion for our internal SOPs and onboarding documents. Still in debate.

16. Google Workspace

• $7.20 per inbox

• Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet currently

• Hate google meet recordings, debating adding Zoom instead

17. Twitter Blue

• $9/month

• Gives you the Verification checkmark, analytics, Grok access

• Probably also gives you more impressions but impossible to know

18. Canva

• $12/month

• Design assets, content, visuals

• My entire brand creatives are inside, I use for youtube thumbs, content, all of it.

19. YouTube Premium

• $14/month

• Ad-free viewing

• The time it saves me from clicking skip and not getting interrupted during learning and education.

20. Loom

• $15/month

• Video & screen sharing, simple editing.

• I use loom multiple times a day, providing client updates, whipping up content quickly, community videos & courses.

21. Carrd

• $19/year

• Simple Landing pages & websites

• Hosts my 5 day free email course (recently deprecated to focus only on newsletter)

22. Notion

• $28/month ($18 plan + $10 for AI add on)

• Project and task management

• Internal documentation, SOPs, Onboarding new members, training. Not sure if we’ll continue using as we downscale the infrastructure.

23. Linked Helper

• $45/month

• Safest LinkedIn automation tool

• I use for both outreach and email scraping for cold email campaigns. Lead gen is my primary use case.

24. Skool

• $99/month

• Community & course hosting platform

• Currently hosting our Automation Lab community, with all my templates, systems, and courses inside.

5 Unique Ways I’m Monetizing this Newsletter

Here’s how I plan to monetize The Autopreneur and my portfolio of newsletters.

Community + Courses:

• Instead of promoting individual courses and sending spammy email campaigns to offer them…I’ll simply tell you when a new course is launched here.

• All my best courses, systems, downloads, templates, automations, AI tools, etc will be located inside our Skool community for 1 monthly price.

• Join the community here: https://www.skool.com/the-automation-lab

• Network with other entrepreneurs, learn & install what systems & automations you need to improve your business, and get the bi-weekly coaching help from me during our Q&A calls.

Coaching 1v1:

• I’ll still continue to keep my private 1v1 coaching offer going throughout the year.

• It’s great data, feedback, and allows me to feel personally fulfilled in my life…just for helping someone else win. Probably the greatest feeling ever.

• Coaching is first come first serve, and there’s still 2 available spots left on my calendar for this month.

• Watch this video for more info on my coaching program.

• DM or email me with any questions.

Affiliate Links:

• I hate writers that spam affiliate links inside of generic newsletters. They give you zero knowledge or use case, not fair warnings or risks.

• Just because there’s an affiliate code, doesn’t mean you should promote it.

• Some of the tools you’ll see inside the dashboards and articles will have affiliate links, but you know how much I value these tools by the transparency we provide when reviewing them. I tell you exactly what I’m using or have used before.

• If ever I find a tool becomes outdated, you’ll hear about it from me first.

Sponsored Placements:

• Contrary to what the entire industry thinks…carving out a top location for a sponsored ad in your newsletter is not the only way to sell sponsorships.

• How many times do you just fast forward or scroll right past the ad placement? This benefits neither the audience, the buyer, nor the seller…

• We’ll do sponsored deep dives, live reviews and case studies, early access tool demos, and strategic ad placements for companies & creators that who want to get traffic.

Joint Ventures:

• Perhaps another author, creator, or business owner is looking for valuable B2B business traffic? Maybe they need help getting signups for a new product launch? Or to beta test an AI SaaS?

• You, the loyal subscriber, will get early access and discounts to various programs, courses, communities, cohorts, and software…just for being a fan of the Autopreneur.

• My network is extensive, and I’m constantly sourcing for mutually beneficial joint venture. I enjoy helping other entrepreneurs grow their revenue & their audience. If you’re interested, please email or DM me for more info.

My 2025 Revenue Results

This is our first official “Sunday Spotlight” of 2025.

Since we’re only 5 days into the new year…there isn’t much revenue to share lol.

I’ll be adding to a public dashboard that displays our revenue, goals, and milestones we’ve hit along the way.

I love the “build in public” style articles…

So once a month, I’ll send you an update on how my newsletter business is doing.

I’m stoked to share this journey with you.

As we demo more AI tools & Automations, the curated list of software will continue to be updated every week.

If you’re someone who doesn’t have the time to research the thousands of new AI tools, then stay tuned…and bookmark this dashboard.

I dunno about you…

But I’ve got a really great feeling about 2025.

It's time to give up the old baggage…

To give yourself permission to finally achieve that 1 Huge Goal you’ve been obsessing over.

While you’re getting after it…

Don’t forget to read “The Autopreneur” every week…

I’ll give you all the tools you need to succeed, and nothing you don’t.

See you at the top, Autopreneur.

Ryan Hutchinson

P.S. If you found this breakdown helpful, feel free to share it with a fellow entrepreneur who might benefit from it.

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Whenever you’re ready, here’s 2 ways we can help you grow your brand or business online:

• Community + Courses:

  • Want to use more Ai tools and Automations in your business? Join today and get instant access to all the tools, systems, automations, and templates I used to get to $40k per month.

Join "The Lab" Today

• 1v1 Coaching with Ryan:

  • I’ve got a systems methodology that will help your business grow in any niche. Click below to learn about some of my coaching clients and their success stories.

  • NOTE: Only 2 more coaching seats available for Q1. DM me with any questions

Learn About 1v1 Coaching

Special shoutout this week to for making it to the leaderboard!

It’s the first day of 2025, and I’m sitting in a starbucks.

Over a decade ago, I was building my first recruiting agency. Every local Barista within a 15 mile radius knew my name. I’d frequent any coffee shop I could, just to sit in the smells and build my business.

But this is the first time in 3 years I came to work at a coffee shop.

If you asked me why I stopped going?

I’d give you any excuse that came to mind:

“The music is loud.” “Gas is too expensive” “I love my home office.”

Or even this one…

“People I know might say Hi and distract me.”

But if I was honest with myself, I’d say…

“I love it here.”

Every year, I begin planning my goals for the new year around Thanksgiving.

By the time NYE arrives? I’m like a caged bull…

When those gates of January open up, I want to have a head start on everyone and everything else. And for the last 20 years of my career, I’ve treated every new year the same way.

Whether I was scaling a business, starting one, consulting for one, or even employed by one…it excited me to work harder, to push further past my goals.

There’s a downside to this, however.

Every new year feels like a race against time. Like I’m competing with my own shadow. I create this seemingly impossible summit to climb.

The moment I achieved the yearly goal → I’d celebrate for a day. Only to wake up and look for another Everest to climb.

But I’ve had a different feeling about 2025…and what lies beyond it.

Something has prevented me from “gearing up” for 2025. And for weeks I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Well last night, it smacked me square in the face…

Without any warning signs, I’ve completely lost track of what’s meaningful in my work.

I’ve been climbing a mountain that someone else laid out for me.

Are You Chasing Your Highest Calling at Work?

What if every year, on January 1st → you were only allowed to set 1 goal.

And when you achieved that goal, your work for the rest of the year was done. You could stop doing work and pursue whatever else you wanted for the rest of the year.

Achieve the goal in March? Congratulations! You get 9 months to do whatever your heart desires.

What 1 goal would you set?

Does it excite you?

Does it scare you?

The type A’s will shout, “But Ryan, I love what I do…I would never stop working.”

Ok cool, I get it. We’ve all heard that before. Thanks for the humble brag. Pat yourself on the back.

Only…

Most entrepreneurs think they love what they do…but in reality they’re lying. You might have yourself convinced, only to not have to face the fact that the career path you’re on might not be of your own making. That’s a harsh reality to face when you’ve sacrificed years of your life at work.

Here’s a quick test to find out if what your doing in your career is what you were called to do:

Consider this scenario for a minute…

What if I gave you $20,000,000 tomorrow…under one strict condition:

You must stop the work you’re currently doing, for good.

You can choose to work on anything else your heart desires…except that which you’re currently doing in your career today.

Would you continue to follow the path?

Would you take the money?

Let me know below…

Last night, I asked myself this very question.

I immediately thought, “Where do I sign?”

I’d go buy my farm, and spend my working days outside in the sun. I’d never look at a computer screen unless I needed to. I’d have my hands in the dirt all day long.

After the selfish desires passed…

My next thought was, "What would I do to find meaning and contribution?”

And what came out surprised me.

Building a Meaningful Career…on Purpose

I started day dreaming of all these uplifting thoughts. Thoughts that filled me up with energy and excitement.

I began to build a “Meaningful” work list of things I would pursue (now that I had $20mm)

• Teaching People how to grow their own food, and cook healthy meals right from their backyard.

• Showing someone how they can start a business they actually love, one that chases purpose and not money.

• I’d meet with my local community to educate them, teaching in person vs zoom calls.

• I’d help the People who truly need it, not just the ones who could afford my consulting rates.

• My words & writing would change lives around the world → some of whom I was lucky enough to meet in person.

Once these thoughts started flowing…I realized that I’ve been pursuing whatever path the internet told me worked well.

I’ve been sub-consciously swayed by the gurus. All the noise on social media lead me to stray from designing a career I wanted.

This ends now.

Here’s a list of all the products & services I’ve pursued in 2024.

1. An Email Ghostwriting Agency.

2. An AI & Automation Agency.

3. A 1v1 Coaching Business.

4. 3 Digital Newsletters.

5. Strategic Partnerships.

6. Revenue Share Consulting Ventures.

7. A Skool Community.

8. Multiple Courses & Lead Magnets.

9. A Podcast.

10. Multiple Social Media Followings.

Can you spot the differences between both lists? The “Meaningful” work list is centered around:

1. Educating People & Teaching.

2. Socializing and meeting People.

3. Changes People’s lives with writing.

But my “Current” work list is centered around:

1. Computers & Technology

2. Revenue and Funnels

3. Selling Services

My current work list is serving some of these interests, but as you can probably tell there’s alot of “extra” stuff in there. Mediums, products, services, and other ventures that I’ve bolted onto my business…

Strictly because it was easy for me to say yes to and build.

Also because these “extras” were a way to add another revenue channel.

2024 was the year I wanted to try a bunch of stuff. I wanted to build it, share it with you, and just try it all.

2025 is going to be the complete opposite = consolidation.

This year, my only goal is to pursue meaningful work.

Looking back at my current work list, let’s start trimming the fat:

1. Ghostwriting Agency

2. AI & Automation Agency.

3. 1v1 Coaching.

4. Digital Newsletter.

5. Strategic Partnerships.

6. Revenue Share Consulting Ventures.

7. Skool Community.

8. Courses

9. Podcast.

10. Social Media Content

Here’s how each one scores on my 3 meaningful traits:

1. Newsletter

   1. Educating? Yes

   2. Socializing? Yes

   3. Writing? Yes

2. Strategic Partnerships

   1. Educating? Yes

   2. Socializing? Yes

   3. Writing? Yes

3. Skool Community

   1. Educating? Yes

   2. Socializing? Yes

   3. Writing? Maybe

4. 1v1 Coaching

   1. Educating? Yes

   2. Socializing? Yes

   3. Writing? No

5. Courses

   1. Educating? Yes

   2. Socializing? No

   3. Writing? Maybe

Let’s analyze how my current work items score according to my “Top 3 Meaningful Principles”:

1. Newsletter = 3

2. Strategic Partnerships = 3

3. Skool Community = 2.5

4. 1v1 Coaching = 2

5. Courses = 1.5

Now knowing this, I can revisit my 1 Yearly Goal System and build my one priority for the year.

(spoken in present tense to manifest the achievement)

“The Autopreneur” newsletter impacts 100,000 People every week → teaching them how to use AI, Automation, & Digital Leverage to pursue their highest calling.

When I achieve this goal in 2025, I’ll have no more goals to pursue for the year.

That’s it.

The ultimate pursuit of meaning.

How I Plan to Get There

Some items in your business are in place strictly to turn a profit.

Other items are not scalable, but you do them anyways because they fill your spiritual cup.

Let’s revisit the list and see where we can consolidate further:

1. Newsletter = 3

2. Strategic Partnerships = 3

3. Skool Community = 2.5

4. 1v1 Coaching = 2

5. Courses = 1.5

Since the newsletter is the top priority…I’m going to use the rest of this list to help us get there.

Strategic Partnerships:

• Problem: If the goal for the year is to help educate 100,000 People…then this newsletter will need to reach a wider market. Organic reach is down, and I’m only 1 man with 1 area of expertise.

• Solution: We’ll be featuring guest authors, weekly contributors, and showcasing other subject-matter experts in the newsletter. We’ll also be publishing 2-3x weekly → providing more valuable content around AI tools, trending news, business strategies, and automated workflows. Our sponsorships and paid ads will only showcase technology that’s actually useful to you. This will eliminate alot of the time it takes you, to research thousands of new AI tools being created.

• If you’re interested in writing a guest post for The Autopreneur, please email me at ryan@blackboxautomations.com or DM here on substack by clicking the button below:

Skool Community & Courses:

• Problem: In order for me to directly impact your life & business, you’ll inevitably need more than just a long-form written newsletter. However, most technology courses & cohorts aren’t cheap.

• Solution: I’m no longer in the business of promoting individual courses or sending lengthy email sequences. You don’t need any more upsells or downsells. Every single template, download, workshop, course, prompt, and time-saving business system I’ve used or built will be hosted inside the Skool community. It will be as affordable as possible as a monthly subscription. You can choose to participate or not, or go through our extensive classroom of course material at your own pace. Join us, use what’s valuable to your business, and leave whenever you like.

• Click here to join The Automation Lab community and get access to more systems, automations, and AI tools.

1v1 Coaching:

• Problem: When working with a community or writing to a large audience, sometimes we lose the 1 to 1 human energy transfer. Selfishly, I love being directly responsible for impacting another Person’s life.

• Solution: I’ll continue my coaching business for the year, but will need to keep a strict cap of 7 new coaching clients per quarter. This will continue to keep me spiritually & financially fulfilled, while the community revenue funds the growth of the newsletter. Working directly with clients who come from the newsletter, also gives me new content ideas.

• Click here to learn more about 1v1 Coaching with Ryan, and see some of the success my clients are enjoying.

To reach 100,000 People…we’ll need more than just a once a week share.

Why?

Because everytime I write a newsletter and promote it…this is what happens:

But I don’t want to be forced to write daily (nor will you probably read a daily newsletter)…

So here’s some of the changes we’re making to The Autopreneur in 2025:

• Wednesdays → Workflow of the Week

  • Wednesday you’ll get 1 workflow or automation that will help you grow your business. These marketing, sales, and delivery workflows will remove you as the bottleneck inside your day to day work.

• Fridays → The AI Forecast

  • Fridays are for memes and dreams. We’ll email you a list of bite-sized nuggets that we found interesting from the week. Topics include new AI tools, technology trends, and futurism content surrounding all things entrepreneurship.

• Sundays → Sunday Spotlight

  • Our Sunday deep dives will continue to help you upskill & strategize. You’ll continue to receive a deep dive from myself, as well as special guest authors. These are subject-matter experts in my network…People I learn from everyday.

  • We’ve got an awesome guest list coming to you soon…here’s the upcoming Sunday Spotlights for January:

    • January 5th - Ryan Hutchinson

    • January 12th - Tim Hanson

    • January 19th - Tom Harman

    • January 26th - TBD

Wrapping It Up

See you might “love” what you do, but you’re probably not “in love” with your work.

Mother Theresa was in love with her work.

Nicola Tesla was in love with his work.

If you had to think about your answer to my $20,000,000 question above…then its a sign something needs to change for your 2025.

And if you’re like me → you decided to take the money…don’t let your ego beat you up over it.

There’s no moral benefit to staying on a path you don’t enjoy…because you’re afraid of what others (or your ego) might think of you.

Don’t be afraid to change either…

• In my 20’s, I had a BMW, a $3000 suit, and a summer body.

• In my 30’s, I had wins on my resume, a network of millionaires, and an iron will.

• In my 40’s, I will write more words, grow more veg, and find pleasure in working less.

Once you understand this, you realize it’s not the money you’re after…

It’s freedom.

Freedom to pursue meaningful work.

Whatever that looks like to you.

Until next time, Autopreneur.

~ Ryan Hutchinson

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PS - Here’s 3 ways I will help you achieve your goals for 2025:

• Newsletter Benefits:

  • Click the link and share this newsletter with your friends. Only people who make the leaderboard get exclusive access these benefits.

• Community + Courses:

  • Want to use more Ai and Automation in your business? Join to get access to all my tools, systems, automations, and templates inside The Automation Lab.

• 1v1 Coaching with Ryan:

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Write Content → Collect Emails → Automate Offers → Ask for Feedback

This probably isn’t breaking news to you.

And you’re probably already doing at least 3 of the 4 parts of this already.

But there’s an area inside this email conversion process that no one really talks about.

And it happens to be the most important part of my content strategy.

It’s how I use my newsletter, as the lead magnet to grow my email list on autopilot.

But every system has to have a name…

Because…all the coolest marketers name their systems, right?

So let’s call it the “Newsletter Magnet System.”

I’ll explain this workflow in the article, but if you need a closer look: https://whimsical.com/newsletter-magnet-system-GSqKyr72WWX6uQ6nrqTPzX

Here’s what’s actually cool about this Newsletter Magnet System:

Your newsletter becomes the lead magnet…for the newsletter.

Feels like the movie Inception LOL.

The newsletter article turns into your social media content.

That content turns the newsletter article into a lead magnet.

The result?

When you use this system, you’ll put out consistently good content and get more email subscribers…for less hard work than you’re doing today.

It’s an extremely easy system to maintain too: currently takes me ~4 hours a month to maintain.

Pretty soon, I’ll be handing it off to my virtual assistant to run. She’ll be able to manage this very easily, without much training or assistance from me.

As with any great system, the smallest improvements lead to amazing results in the future.

Since launching it in 2024, this Newsletter Magnet System got more high quality email subscribers, higher open rates, higher click-through-rates, and more net new clients…

And I’m working less hours on content than I ever have before.

My Weekly Disclaimer: Systems are not a “one-size-fits-all.” Take only what’s useful for you, and install it into your unique business.

Then tell me how it helped you in the comments below.

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The Social Media Lie: Your Followers are Not Your Friends

When I was in college, if we walked into a house party and it was empty…

We chugged a few beers from the keg, and then left to go find a more popular party.

20 years later, I still see this behavior all across social media.

“Twitter is dead.”

“LinkedIn is boring.”

“Bluesky is blowing up.”

“Substack is where it’s at.”

Why do we care so much? The reason is simple…

The people who jump from 1 platform to another? They can only focus on creating content for 1 platform. Any more than 1, feels like a huge time-suck.

They waste precious time learning all the “best practices” for that 1 platform. They ask me questions like, “When is the best time to post content here?”

Unfortunately, they’re stuck in the matrix.

Slaves to an algorithm.

I’m going to show you a new way of thinking about social media…

It will save you from the “organic content grind.”

Hot Take: Not a single metric matters on social media.

Not views. Not engagement. Not followers. Not Reposts.

And definitely not the unproven metrics like “dwell time” and “saves” that we still have no evidence on.

Why?

Because your social media profile is just rented office space.

And the social media landlords like Meta and Microsoft, are the only ones who dictate your results.

Need proof?

Look at what my LinkedIn landlord just did to me:

I have 14,000 followers and 10,000+ connections…and can’t even lookup more than 3 people in a basic search.

What’s the fucking point of being active on a gigantic people database, when you can’t search for people?

Free isn’t Free.

And in the future, every platform will be pay to play.

If anything, we’ve learned that these landlords could care less about the people who drive traffic to it, marketers like you and I.

And when you’re desperate to get noticed online, you’ll treat every new comment and follower as if they were a brand new high ticket client.

Let’s reframe your thinking on how to use social media & content:

Social platforms are NOT communities.

They aren’t “social” at all. They’re simply a tool. A repository of valuable data.

And if we want this data, we have to go fishing for it ourselves…by posting content and collecting feedback from it.

Here’s another analogy:

Think of your social media content like putting up a billboard on a highway.

Traffic is speeding by, and there are thousands of billboards…so you only have split seconds to try and stand out.

My theory → I want you seeing my billboard every mile on your journey.

By mile 50…

You’re now getting curious, “Who the hell is this Ryan guy?"

I want you taking time out of your busy schedule to enter my funnel.

Outside of this → social media has zero purpose.

Steven Singer (Philly native) is the OG at attention-grabbing billboards, before social media was even a thing.

Years ago, he started plastering his billboards up and down Interstate 95.

By mile 10, after you’ve seen a ton of these billboards…

You say to yourself, “Who tf is Steven Singer??”

Without knowing it…you took the bait.

(Here’s the full backstory on the marketing campaign if you’re interested.)

This is how you should start treating your content online.

If you aren’t super creative like Steven Singer, then you can overcome the lack of creativity by being consistent.

Eventually, with time, you become consistently good.

Your job as a marketer is to stand in the middle of a busy street corner, and hand out free samples.

Some people will ignore you.

Some will take your free sample…and keep walking.

But some lucky people will stop…eat the free sample…then ask you for more.

Check Mate.

Remember: you’re not on social media to get followers, likes, comments, or figure out how to hack the algorithm…you’re not even there to build a community or network.

You only have 1 primary goal:

To capture someone’s interest, and move that interest off platform.

I can’t stress this enough, having the right mindset about social media is the most important step in business.

Now let’s dig into the Newsletter Magnet System.

The Newsletter Magnet System:

If you knew that every piece of you content you wrote was an absolute banger…How often would you post?

And if you knew that everyone loved this content…

Wouldn’t you want to share it across as many platforms as possible?

This is the crux of my system → to share only my best performing content, as often as possible, on as many social media channels as I find necessary.

Every morning around 7:15am eastern time, 1 piece of content gets posted to:

• LinkedIn

• Twitter

• YouTube (as a text or image post)

• Substack Notes

You can add Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, etc, etc…I just chose not to.

You also don’t need to pay for Hypefury, Taplio, Publer, or any of those expensive (and useless) scheduling tools.

Make.com costs me $19 a month…and I run my entire business using it.

I have a social media “posting” automation that takes the daily scheduled post from my content calendar, and publishes it out across these platforms.

Here’s a look at the automtion workflow:

My content calendar is inside of Airtable, but you can host yours inside of Notion, or even Google Sheets, and use the same automation.

When the clock strikes 7:18am ET, this automation fires off, and my post goes live.

Instead of only relying on 1 platform to capture interest, I’m now getting traffic and distribution on 4 different platforms.

My social strategy is simple:

• Give updates on what I’m building

• Call out specific problems I see

• Show prospects how I can help

Eventually the right person stops and says, “Who is this automation guy that keeps showing up in my feed?”

When they want to learn more, they’ll click the link inside my post and decide whether or not to join my free newsletter.

If you’re already posting content everyday…this system will do wonders for you.

Now instead of 365 chances to get leads, you’ve got at least 1460 chances a year with this automation.

But remember…

The real value isn’t in being consistent…

We want to be “consistently good.”

Find What Works → Post More of It → Get More Leads

The most valuable currency I own online is an email list.

The second most valuable currency is my conversion data.

One question I love to collect data on?

“What content gets me the most email signups?”

This NLM System uses tracking links to find out what content got me the most emails, and what CTAs they clicking.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1) Include a link directly inside your social media post.

In every social post, I include a “Call to Action” at the bottom.

3 Days a Week: I include a link directly within the body of the post.

Yes…it probably harms my reach.

No…I don’t care.

I’m optimizing for email subscribers, not views.

When you use this system, and improve the quality of each post…it ends up negating the lack of views per post over time.

No more hiding your links with the classic “link in the comments below” nonsense…

No more hacky algorithm tricks.

Besides, commenting on your own content just makes you look weird.

I want my audience to enjoy a frictionless journey:

1. Stop and read The Hook. (or Get Hooked from an image.)

2. If they’re interested? Click “See More” to continue.

3. Still interested? Click the link in the post to continue.

The smoothest user experience possible.

No more jenky hacks or trying to optimize for an algorithm.

I use these “Call to Actions” in my content:

The Most Valuable CTA’s Are:

1. Newsletter Article → A direct link to read a past newsletter article.

2. Newsletter Sub → A direct link to my newsletter opt-in page.

3. EEC Sub → A direct link to my free email course opt-in page.

These 3 CTAs are the primary driver for email signups.

The other CTAs, like “follow me” or “comment below” are inserted on the in-between days that I’m not using a link.

Sometimes, I’ll throw out a sales post that offers a direct link to a paid workshop I’m running, or directly promotes my Automation Lab Community.

In order to get the most email subscribers from organic content, I only post the stuff I know works…

Step 2) Analyze the Best Converting Links

I track which CTA + Links perform the best, by using Short.io.

Short allows you to create a “tracker” inside a URL. I use these trackers to answer that question above → “What piece of content got the most email signups?”

In the image above, you can see some CTAs get way more clicks than others…

Your eyes immediately go to the post with 147 clicks.

And you’re probably thinking, “That’s the best performing CTA by a long shot.”

Not so fast.

Let’s analyze this data from the screenshot above.

We’ll use the LinkedIn content data + link tracking data:

• 2024.12.10

  • CTA Strategy = Newsletter Pitch

  • Total Words in LinkedIn Post = 355

  • LinkedIn Impressions = 1889

  • LinkedIn Clicks = 26

  • Click Through Rate = 1.3%

• 2024.12.07

  • CTA Strategy = Newsletter Article Share

  • Total Words in LinkedIn Post = 131

  • LinkedIn Impressions = 929

  • LinkedIn Clicks = 22

  • Click Through Rate = 2.4%

• 2024.11.18

  • CTA = Newsletter Article Share

  • Total Words in LinkedIn Post = 88

  • LinkedIn Impressions = 5421

  • LinkedIn Clicks = 137

  • Click Through Rate = 2.5%

The CTA on 12/07 with the worst total clicks, converted just as well as the CTA on 11/18 with the most total clicks.

Without having this data, you would have ignored a high-performing CTA.

Here’s my 5 minute rough analysis:

• Posts that offer the reader a “deeper dive” inside a newsletter article, have higher CTRs.

• The less words you write in a post, the more likely someone will click.

• Using an Image with a Quote = Better Algorithm Performance

Analyzing data like this is how I continue to improve my content every month.

Every 30 days, I recycle the best performing content and CTAs…and increase email subscribers, while decreasing my need to continuously write new content.

If you’re on day 1 of writing content, here’s a simple recycling strategy you can use to get started:

I used this exact content flywheel when I started writing content in March 2023. But the AI tools we had at the time we terrible. It was mostly me re-writing my own stuff and working in new hooks, new formats, new CTAs.

Nowadays, I’ve got so much content & conversion data that my content calendar is almost 100% recycled posts.

At the end of each month, I’ll take the best performing content + CTAs, and re-write or just re-schedule them over 60 to 90 days.

I leave 2 open days a week for writing new content.

The other 5 days a week, I’m just re-cycling my best performing content from previous months.

The End Result?

High Converting Content & CTAs that get more clicks, more subscribers, and more revenue downstream.

The subscribers who enter my newsletter get to explore topics more in depth, than the appetizers I write about on social media.

This article you’re reading is an example of a deep dive.

Step 3) Find What Works…but Make Sure it Works For YOU.

Last week, I did an “Ask Me Anything” training for Moe Choice’s six figure solopreneur community.

Brielle Wohlenhaus, a communications expert, asked a great question…one that I often struggled with at the beginning of my newsletter journey.

She asked:

“I'm very passionate about video, I feel like with my personality and within my business, video makes most sense for me. I started a newsletter about six months ago, and within the first 24 hours, it got 10,000 subscribers. But what I found is, my passion is really just in doing video. My passion isn't necessarily in writing, but I also know that sometimes you got to do things, whether you're passionate about them or not within your business…

Do you have any advice or insights? Should I keep going with the newsletter? Or should I just go all in with video?”

I get this question quite often inside the community, from other entrepreneurs & marketers automating their sales and marketing processes.

“Should I write? Or should I do video?”

The answer isn’t binary. It’s not A or B.

Your A should complement B.

Better yet…create A, then have it create B, and C, and D.

Brielle probably has over 100+ hours of video content. Since she’s not really interested in writing a newsletter, she shouldn’t feel forced into it.

That’s the quickest way to start hating your business.

Use the AI tools and Automations that we provide inside The Automation Lab to repurpose those video transcripts into written longform newsletters.

I can write for hours on end with ease, but video?

It feels like a heavy lift.

So when I sat down to record this YouTube video, my first thought was “This video is way too long…no one will watch this.”

30 days later…I lost count of the number of people on sales calls who mentioned that they watched this video.

It gave them more A-ha moments than any other piece of content I published.

A + B = $$$

First, find your A.

Then find the system that lets your A turn into B…

Without spending any extra time to get there.

Subscribe now

TLDR:

• If you’re not building an email list, you’re wasting time with social media.

• Use the “Newsletter Magnet System” for getting more email subscribers with less effort.

• Track the success of your content by tracking links inside the post.

• High-performing CTAs get recycled in future posts.

• Create content in a style that you enjoy, then have it feed other styles you don’t enjoy…so your readers can consume in the ways they enjoy.

Happy Holidays Autopreneur.

Time > Everything,

Ryan Hutchinson

PS - Want to build a $40k per month business using Automation and AI?

I teach all my strategies to a growing community of entrepreneurs…

Inside, you’ll get instant access to all my sales, marketing, and client onboarding automations…as well as bi-weekly calls and workshop trainings..

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