I’ve said it for years in the speaker community, and I’ll say it again here: you don’t win by finding the one tool that does everything.

In fact, such a “One Tool Wonder” doesn’t exist.

Welcome to Planet Earth — it works that way here.

You win by knowing which tool to hand the baton to at the right moment — and when to bring in the next one.

That is what I call being a Creative Conductor!

This week I got to see that principle play out in real time with two amazing AI tools that I use regularly.

On paper, they have nothing to do with each other: Claude and Castmagic.

Castmagic does one thing extremely well — it takes raw audio (a voice memo, a podcast recording, a rambling idea I captured in the car) and turns it into transcripts, show notes, quote cards, title options, social posts, even a Spanish summary.

My amazing Castmagic is a machine built for one job: extracting value out of the spoken word.

My newer buddy, Claude, does something different.

It doesn’t record anything.

But you just hand Claude what Castmagic has and it is Oh-my-goodness magic!

It can research, cross-reference, compile, and help me shape that raw material into something ready for blogs, LinkedIn, X posts, and a whopping bunch more!

And THAT, my friend, is a lot!

Neither tool replaces the other.

Neither tool is “THE” AI tool.

And THAT, is exactly the point.

Just today, I saw that my beloved Castmagic now connects with Claude and they produce amazing content creating magic together!

I let Claude sort through EVERY (yes, all caps) post I’ve created in the years I’ve been using Castmagic.

Then I ask it to find whatever I said about a given topic, wherever it happens to be in my compilation of over 500+ recordings (and counting!).

It then weaves them together to come up with another series of content with text, pictures and more.

And it is all, 100% in my own unique voice and wacky style!

By combining the best of just these two tools, Claude and Castmagic, I came up with another one of my goofy names, “The C-Twins” — come on, work with me on this. 🤣

Don’t Just Take My Word For It

I’m not the only one saying this. The “best of breed” over “one platform to rule them all” argument shows up across totally different industries:

One recent piece on AI content creation put it plainly: the secret isn’t a single “all-in-one” tool, but knowing which specialized tool to bring in for the right job — one for research, one for writing, one for visuals. That is the essence of what I mean by “Creative Conductor.”

Operations writer Joshua Daniel Samek argues most serious teams in 2026 have landed on hybrid stacks — a core platform paired with a handful of best-of-breed tools — because pure all-in-one or pure modular setups don’t hold up over time. Yep! “The Magic Is In The Mix.”

Even in HR tech, Lattice makes the case that consolidating everything into one vendor often means “doing nothing brilliantly,” while a specialized stack lets each tool be excellent at its one job.

OPINION/PUSHBACK SPACE — worth noting:

DatBot.AI raises a fair counterpoint, that juggling multiple specialized tools scatters your data across “five places, five privacy policies,” and that real creative work doesn’t always split cleanly into separate jobs.

OK, OK, That is worth acknowledging.

I think this is what orchestration means and why it matters.

The Creative Conductor role isn’t just trying to pick the exact right tools, it’s managing the handoffs between them.

This is You As A Creative Conductor!

This is what I mean when I talk about being a Creative Conductor.

You’re not the one who plays every instrument.

You’re the one who knows what the flute is for, what the drums are for, and when each one comes in.

And THAT person is needed today in AI.

Claude and Castmagic, working together, just gave me a live demo of that idea — from raw audio, to compiled research, to what you’re reading right now.

This is an exciting moment.

We’ll be talking about this more in my Tantalizing Tech Tips With Terry on our next Stark Raving Entrepreneurs meeting tomorrow.

Get ready for another “Whiz bang bucket of fun and ideas.”

(Still legal so far today!)

Please let us know what you think in the Substack notes or with a quick email if you’re catching this that way.

How could you deploy this “Orchestration” idea with your own AI tools?

I look forward to hearing from you.

To Your Success,

Terry

Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Check out that combo of Claude and Castmagic for some serious creation and Creative Conductor options.

I’m attending a conference this week and having a fabulous time.

Why is it that we like to be around others in a learning, supportive environment?

I’m no psychologist or mental health expert but I see the benefits and embrace them.

Gina and I are attending a wonderful conference now and learning a lot of practical, solid information that we don’t get just from reading on the Net.

As great as it is to learn on the Net ( we heartily endorse that), there is something special that happens when you are out of your normal element and into a supportive, life-enriching environment.

Yesterday I had the great opportunity to share about my love of history and how that was sparked by the late great Steve Allen in his epic series, Meeting of Minds that was on PBS in the late 70’s.

This sharing and working with three consummate professionals, Candy Campbell, Randall Reeder, and Randy Otto, helped me to learn principles that are timeless.

The audience learned a lot and we found great wisdom from what these heroes of yesterday (Florence Nightingale, Will Rogers, and Sir Winston Churchill) did and how those principles apply to us today.

Push yourself to learn more relevant and practical information. Being around other is a natural way for us human beings to live and grow.

Then give back and contribute to the community that helps you grow.

What do you think? What energizes you about life and your work? Leave a comment below as you catch this here on Substack. If you’re getting this via email whack that Reply button and let us know.

Leave a comment

Wishing you the best and continued growth in your work. Live and Let Live!

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

Here’s a very important consideration in today’s AI world:

What AI Can’t Duplicate Is Exactly What Your Audience Wants From You Today

I remember when we used to complain there was “nothing on TV.”

This was a while ago!

Now we’ve got the exact opposite problem — so much good content that yours can get skipped even when it’s great.

In this YouTube vid, I break down the 4-step CARE framework Gina and I use to keep AI backstage and the real human (you) front and center.

This way people choose your content on purpose, not by accident.

This is the difference between “attention scarcity” working against you and working for you.

Here’s a very important consideration in today’s AI world:
What AI Can’t Duplicate Is Exactly What Your Audience Wants From You Today

Grab the full video (you’ll love it!) here:

Listen to this & other episodes on our podcast:
https://bit.ly/sre_podcast

Get Hot AI News To Build Your Business
https://bit.ly/terry_news

⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Why good content still gets ignored
0:30 3 TV Channels, One Choice — How different content used to be
1:18 The New Problem: Attention Scarcity, Not Content Scarcity
2:33 Your Real Competition Isn’t Bad Content Anymore
3:23 Why AI Is Not the Enemy Here
3:48 Become a “Creative Conductor” — Picking the Right Tool at the Right Time
5:33 Why Relationship Marketing Beats Chasing Views
6:20 Introducing the CARE Framework
6:46 C — Connect to Real Pain (Find What’s Actually Bothering People)
9:49 A — Add Your Perspective (What AI Can’t Give Them)
10:58 R — Reveal Real Experience (Your Proprietary Data: Your Stories)
13:32 Why “Perfect” Is Becoming Cheap — and Authentic Is Winning
15:06 E — Engage in Relationship (Know, Like, Trust)
19:08 AI Backstage, You Onstage — The Theater Metaphor
22:49 Putting CARE Into Action — Your Recap

THE PROBLEM: TOO MUCH GOOD CONTENT
Back in the day, there wasn’t enough content — three TV channels and you waited till Thursday at 8pm. Today it’s flipped completely. There’s so much good material out there that your audience physically can’t consume it all.

That means your competition isn’t bad content anymore — it’s really good content, and people just don’t have the bandwidth for one more thing. I walk through why that changes everything about how you need to show up.

AI ISN’T THE ENEMY — IT’S YOUR CONDUCTOR’S BATON
I use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok a lot, and I show you why the goal isn’t collecting tools — it’s becoming a “Creative Conductor” who knows which tool to use for which job.

Think of an orchestra conductor: they don’t have to play every instrument brilliantly. They just know how to bring out the best in each one. I recommend sticking with 2-3 solid AI tools rather than chasing every shiny new one.

THE CARE FRAMEWORK: HOW TO STAY REAL WHILE USING AI
This is the heart of the video — four steps to make sure your content actually connects:

C — Connect to Real Pain: Stop guessing what’s “dandy” and go find out what people are actually struggling with. Talk to real humans, not just your AI research.
A — Add Your Perspective: AI gives you the raw material. You add the judgment — what you agree with, disagree with, and what everyone else is missing.
R — Reveal Real Experience: Your stories, your mistakes, your client conversations — that’s proprietary data nobody else has. Don’t polish it out.
E — Engage in Relationship: Content isn’t the finish line, it’s the opening line. Reply to comments, send a Loom video, follow up — that’s where “know, like, trust” actually gets built.

AI BACKSTAGE, YOU ONSTAGE
I share my favorite way to think about this: AI does the research and the rough draft — I call that the “Doggie Draft” — and then I Terry-ize it with my own voice, stories, and judgment.

AI is the amplifier, not the identity. Your relationship with your audience is the one thing no AI tool can duplicate.

Talk to us: What’s one place in your content where you could add more of YOU? Drop it in the comments — Gina and I read every one.

If this was helpful, subscribe for more real talk on using AI without losing yourself in it, and check out our next video where we go even deeper on making this work for your business.

I’m Terry Brock, on behalf of Gina Carr and Stark Raving Entrepreneurs — go be the Creative Conductor you can be.

One tap, and every open app—the ones I had forgotten were even running—just vanished.

Clean screen.

Fresh start.

What a glorious feeling: a genuine “starting anew” moment.

I also have an iPhone and love it as well. However, it does not have a “Close All” option, and I sure wish it did.

That ability to “Close All” is something we need in our lives every so often.

This got me thinking about something bigger than phones.

We All Need a “Close All” Button

Every single day, we are bombarded with a new AI tool, a new headline, and a new “you won’t believe this” moment.

And don’t get me started on the daily news!

The “always-on” mode does not stop.

If we are not careful, our minds start to look like that overloaded app screen: 40 tabs open, nothing closed, everything running in the background, draining the battery.

Ugh!

We need our own version of “Close All.” Not to delete what matters—but to shut down what does not need to be running right now so we can actually think straight.

My Version: S.E.M.

For me, that discipline shows up every morning in something I call SEM:

• Study—feeding my mind something useful and new

• Exercise—because a body in motion sharpens a mind that is not

• Meditation—the actual “Close All” moment, when I step back from the noise

I have found that when I skip this, I feel it. My attitude is worse. My thinking is foggier.

I feel more “yucky.” Technical term!

But when I do it—even just those few minutes of quiet before the study and the sweat—everything downstream works better.

This Too Shall Pass

Here is the thing about whatever “yuck” is happening in the world when you read this:

It will pass.

It always has.

That does not mean we ignore it or stop caring. It means we do not let it run in the background 24/7, draining us dry.

With November and the midterms coming up, I would bet this idea matters to you, no matter which side of the aisle you are on.

Everybody, regardless of persuasion, could use a moment to hit “Close All” on the noise, take a breath, and remember that we are going to get through this.

Try This

You do not need a Samsung to do this. Your own “Close All” button might be:

• Five minutes of quiet before you touch your phone in the morning

• A walk with no earbuds

• Literally closing your laptop and stepping outside

It really can be just what you need at a given moment.

Whatever it is, find it and use it on purpose—not just when you are overwhelmed.

Action Displaces Despondency.

Clearing the clutter is not retreat. It is how we get ready to act with a clear head.

Then you can take positive action in the right direction to help yourself and others.

What is your personal Close All button? Leave a comment about how you make it through the “stuff” of the day.

Make it a point to hit your own personalized “Close All” button today.

Leave a comment

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Let us know how you do your own unique “Close All.”

I’ve been experimenting with something lately, and I think it’s changing how I think about Relationship Marketing in the age of AI.

Here’s the short version:

AI can find the moment. You still have to feel it.

Here’s what I mean.

The Radar: Letting AI Watch What You Can’t

None of us can hold a thousand people in our heads at once.

I tried.

Flat-out does not work!

We human beings just can’t remember everyone we haven’t talked to in six months, whose birthday is next week, or what industry news might matter to a client we haven’t emailed since a conference eight months ago.

That’s not a failure of caring.

It’s a failure of human brain bandwidth.

And the good news is—this is exactly where AI earns its keep.

I’ve started using my AI tools as a kind of radar.

I let my AI tools scan my calendar, inbox, and even the news for moments worth acting on.

Here are a few examples:

• Calendar-Based Recall. Birthdays, anniversaries, or, “It’s been 90 days since we talked.” AI can flag it a week ahead so I have time to actually think about the person instead of merely reacting.

• Event-Based Recall. We met at a convention in Las Vegas six months ago. AI can remind me that we talked about a dinner, a topic, or a laugh we shared—so I can reference something specific instead of sending a generic, “Great to meet you.”

• Silence-Based Recall. Nobody has reached out in half a year? Go ahead and let that silence itself become the signal.

• Industry Pulse. Here’s the one I didn’t expect to love as much as I do. Find out what is happening in a contact’s industry, then send them a warm, informed, caring Loom video with valuable insights on that topic—just out of the blue. Connect on a solid, dad-gum real, personal level.

In every one of these, AI’s job is the same:

1. Surface the fact.

2. Hand me the timing.

3. Get the heck out of the way.

AI does its job by letting you know what’s going on.

It is your superior radar.

Then you humanize it.

I like to say I “Terry-ize” it.

Now use your own name and customize it with your thoughts, ideas, experiences, and feelings.

REAL vs. REEL

Here’s where I draw a hard line.

There’s a difference between a REAL moment and a REEL moment.

A REEL is polished, scripted, filler words scrubbed out, and every stumble edited away until it sounds like a professional voiceover.

There is a place for that.

Fair enough.

However, a REAL moment is you on camera saying something true—stumbles and all.

Being authentic!

If you trip over a word, don’t worry about it.

When I make a mistake—and I make a TRUCKLOAD of them!—I laugh at myself.

That’s not sloppiness.

That’s proof that a dad-gum real, somewhat flawed human being is actually on the other end of the camera.

Hello!

People can usually sense when they’re being handed an overly polished pitch.

It feels like an ad.

And what do we often do with ads?

Scroll! — Or worse.

What gets our attention is a real, oxygen-breathing, blood-pumping human being talking like a real person about something that actually matters.

What a concept!

But — and this matters — REAL isn’t an excuse for carelessness.

If a video is genuinely hard to follow, riddled with errors, and has no structure at all, that’s not authenticity.

That’s just being unprepared.

Come on, Sparky, get with the program!

A little coaching to smooth out habitual filler words isn’t the enemy here.

The line is simple:

Leave in there what makes you human. Clean up what gets in the way of the message.

The Close-Loved-One Test

Here’s the test I use:

Would someone who truly loves me watch this and feel like it’s me?

Or would they feel like they’re watching a plastic version of me performing warmth?

That’s the whole issue.

Leverage the daylights out of the dad-gum technology.

Let it find the moments.

Let it surface the memories.

Let it do the noticing you don’t have the bandwidth to do.

And then, when the camera turns on, be so completely yourself that the technology disappears entirely.

And THAT, my friend, is how you and I can leverage the daylights out of AI while still being strongly ourselves—yes, being human—and getting our message out.

Now I’m curious about you.

How are you leveraging the daylights out of AI while still keeping your communication genuinely human?

Drop a note in the comments and let us know.

I look forward to hearing what you’re doing.

Share

Leave a comment

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Here’s the combo-key: Use AI as your radar. Use yourself for the relationship.

Let AI discover what’s happening, then bring your humanity, judgment, humor, caring, and personality to the moment.

That is where the magic happens.

This quote from Satya Nadella ties into that:

As Satya says, the technology is really there to serve people and help them more, and as we focus on that relationship marketing of helping others, we do better in business.

I am actually dazzled and amazed as I’m writing this to you right now.

I just discovered one of those palm-slap-to-the-forehead “duh!” moments when I realized I can take something I’ve been doing for my daily tasks using Google Sheets and tie it into my daily planning spreadsheet — it looks at my calendar and then gives me a list of what I need to do that’s a priority today.

That really comes down to productivity, but it also stretches over into relationship marketing.

Yes, the AI, as Satya Nadella says, empowers individuals and organizations.

That is Relationship Marketing which is what’s most important in any business.

I like the way Sam Walton said it: at any moment, a customer can fire the CEO, the people in the C-suite, or any employee, simply by not buying from them. If enough customers “fire” a store, that store will go out of business.

Today we have enormous opportunities to serve people better than ever.

Using tools like Gemini, Grok and ChatGPT gives you the ability to get massive amounts of drudge work done at a higher quality, at a lower cost, and at a faster rate.

That’s one heck of a great combination!

There are many who are concerned about AI taking over our jobs, and I understand where they’re coming from.

If you let AI do everything and think you can farm out all of your work to it, AI is going to do it better than you could, at a faster rate, and at a much lower cost.

But the real essence is in the relationships between people.

I love the way Zig Ziglar told us: you can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.

This is the essence of the free market system, where you’re able to achieve what you need by serving others and helping them.

Even the big tech companies are doing well because they have satisfied the needs of others.

Because of the work of companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and smaller companies like Castmagic, Taja, and others, we are able to get more done in less time at a lower cost.

The key is we have to remember that it’s the human beings who are in charge, and we see AI as our assistant.

While thinking about you as I was writing this, I came up with a little picture I created in Google Docs that I think shows the way it works.

You have the salesperson presenting the contract to the customers, who are now delighted. Notice the AI robot standing there by the side — the one who did the research, did the heavy lifting, and got the information sooner.

However, the key component in all of it is the human relationship solving the needs of others.

So how are you doing that today? Let us know in the comments what one or two tools are helping you the most in today’s world?

You’ll be helping others by showing us what you’re using and how that’s helping you.

Others will be able to see what you’re doing and possibly use it for themselves.

This is how we all do better and help each other.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much for being part of this and for reading my notes that I send out to you.

Leave a comment

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Here’s a great video I posted yesterday about how you can leverage the daylights out of Substack Notes to help others and build your Relationship Marketing.

Let us know what you think

Is “Just Create More” Really The Best For You?

The problem is not always creating more. Often, it is getting the useful ideas you already have in front of the right people—often enough that they remember you, trust you, and eventually decide to work with you.

That is why Gina and I are excited about Substack Notes.

Notes give you a way to share short, useful ideas with people beyond your existing email list. A quick insight, a brief video, a practical checklist, a quote from an older article, or a personal observation can help new people discover what you do and why it matters to them.

And no, this does not mean you need to become a full-time social-media hamster on a wheel. Quite the opposite.

The Key To Success With Substack Notes

The smart approach is to repurpose, not reinvent.

Take a strong article, video, podcast episode, or email you have already created. Pull out one practical idea. Add a fresh observation or current example. Then turn it into a useful Note that stands on its own.

That is a whole lot easier than staring at a blank screen wondering what to create next.

Three Ideas to Put Into Action

1. Make every Note useful by itself.

A good Note does not need a grand introduction or a long explanation. Teach one quick lesson. Share one helpful observation. Ask one thoughtful question.

Your goal is not to impress people with how much you know. It is to help them make progress.

2. Rotate among three kinds of content.

A simple way to keep Notes fresh is to use three content pillars:

• Educate: Teach a quick tactic, tool, or framework.

• Inspire: Offer a mindset shift, a useful quote, or encouragement.

• Connect: Share a personal story, a book you are reading, a behind-the-scenes moment, or a short casual video.

That variety gives people a fuller picture of who you are—and it helps them see that you are a real human being, not merely a content-distribution machine with a Wi-Fi connection.

3. Build an audience you can actually reach.

Social platforms can be wonderfully useful, but they are rented land. Algorithms change. Platforms change. Policies change.

Your email list is an asset you control.

Substack Notes can help people discover you. Your free subscription gives you permission to stay in touch. And paid membership, workshops, and coaching can give your best people deeper help when they are ready for it.

That is a sensible path: build trust first, then offer greater access and greater value.

Watch the Full Episode

In this week’s video, I show you how we are using Substack Notes at Stark Raving Entrepreneurs to grow our network, build trust faster, and turn casual readers into subscribers and potential paid members.

You’ll learn how to:

• Use Notes to reach beyond your existing list

• Repurpose older content into a week of useful posts

• Create stronger hooks that stop the scroll

• Use Educate, Inspire, and Connect as simple content pillars

• Use restacks and relationships to expand your reach

• Build an audience you own—not one controlled by an algorithm

Get the tips to use Substack Notes for best results:

Jump to the Part You Need

• 0:42 — How Substack’s discovery system can introduce you to new people

• 3:34 — Text, photos, video, and live: the flexible ways to use Notes

• 6:08 — How to repurpose one older article into a week of content

• 9:50 — Crafting a first line that earns attention

• 10:42 — The three content pillars: Educate, Inspire, and Connect

• 13:19 — Your next steps with Substack and AI tools

Leverage Substack Notes

You can also listen to this episode—and our other episodes—on the podcast:
Stark Raving Entrepreneurs Podcast

What is one useful idea you already have that could become a Substack Note this week? Tell Gina and me in the comments.

For more practical help with Substack, AI tools, marketing, and building a business grounded in what actually works, visit StarkRavingEntrepreneurs.com.

I’m Terry Brock, on behalf of Gina Carr and Stark Raving Entrepreneurs. Thanks for spending time with us.

Action Displaces Despondency. Now go put this into action.

They called themselves Johnny and the Moondogs.

They lost.

That name didn’t survive the year.

Neither did the next one, or the one after that.

Before “The Beatles” ever appeared on a marquee (and before they had Ringo as their drummer), this band tried on at least five identities.

The Quarrymen, Johnny and the Moondogs, the Beatals, the Silver Beetles, Long John and the Silver Beetles — over roughly three years of trial, failure, and adjustment.

However, I hear the four lads from Liverpool eventually had something that did reasonably well in music!

But how the heck, Terry, does that relate to us today with AI?

Well, my lil’ noggin’ has been considering that, and I wanted to share some of my wacky thoughts with you that can help you in your business.

Here are some points considering what the Beatles did that can apply to us today with AI:

1. Iteration Wasn’t a Detour — It Was the Strategy

Every one of those name changes came from feedback.

A failed audition.

A new band member.

A booking agent’s opinion.

A tour that needed a punchier marquee name.

They weren’t attached to any single version of themselves.

They adjusted, improvised, adapted, and overcame — just like we’re reminded of the US Marine Corps mantra.

2. Now Ask: What If They Had AI?

Imagine John, Paul, and George with the tools we have on our laptops and smartphones right now.

Instead of waiting months between gigs to learn a name wasn’t working, they could’ve tested twenty options against real audience reactions in an afternoon.

Now THAT would be amazing!

Instead of guessing at what “sounded American” or “sounded like rock and roll,” they could’ve had research on what was actually landing with Liverpool teenagers versus London audiences.

The three years of stumbling toward “Beatles” could have been three months — or three weeks — or even sooner.

3. This Is Our Advantage as Creative Conductors

We don’t have to wait for a failed talent show to know something isn’t working.

As entrepreneurs, we can pull from a whole orchestra of AI tools — one for research, one for drafting, one for testing messaging, one for structuring the offer — and conduct them toward a decision faster than any generation before us has ever been able to move.

That is being a Creative Conductor!

4. But Speed Without Learning Is Just Noise

Here’s the catch: iteration only works if you’re actually learning between attempts.

That’s Smart Persistence — not stubbornly grinding on a path because it’s already the path you’re on, but staying committed to the goal while staying flexible about the approach.

And THAT, my friend, is one heck-of-a-dazzling-advantage.

The Beatles didn’t succeed because they picked one name and defended it.

They succeeded because they were willing to let go of names that weren’t working.

Yes, (I know what you’re thinking), that is what we have to do.

Let go of what isn’t working right now and be willing to modify, adjust, and even discard that which isn’t “cutting the mustard.”

5. The Real Question

Today, in the age of AI, the tools have changed.

The principle hasn’t.

Try. Get real signal. Adjust. Repeat.

AI just means your “Johnny and the Moondogs” moment doesn’t have to cost you three years — it can cost you an afternoon.

Be willing to go through your own “Johnny and the Moondogs” period of time in order to get to your own version of “The Beatles.”

Reply and tell me ONE idea you killed that led to something better. I read every reply.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Keep iterating with Smart Persistence — that’s the whole game in this AI-empowered world.

He talked about keeping the “telephone line” open to his unconscious mind.

He would work hard, certainly.

But he would also listen to music, take long baths, garden, walk in the country, ride a bicycle, take vacations, and deliberately give his brain time to lie fallow.

David Ogilvy understood something many entrepreneurs forget: sometimes your best thinking happens when you stop trying so hard to think.

That got me thinking.

There is an important principle here that applies to a lot more than advertising.

• It applies to business.

• It applies to creativity.

• It applies to exercise.

• It applies to learning.

Frankly, it applies to almost all aspects of life.

We can get into trouble when we go too far in either direction.

On one extreme, someone does very little.

• No serious work.

• No exercise.

• No discipline.

• No stretching.

• No learning.

Just relaxing, taking it easy, avoiding anything uncomfortable, and perhaps even adding some unhealthy habits on top of it.

That’s not a recipe for thriving.

But the opposite extreme isn’t the answer either.

• Working 22 hours a day.

• Push, push, push, push, push.

• Never stopping.

• Never recovering.

• Never asking whether what you’re doing is even working.

That isn’t Smart Persistence.

That is simply beating your head against the wall harder.

Not recommended at all!

The wall doesn’t care how hard your head hits it.

Your head, however, might have a different opinion. :-)

The Japanese even have a chilling word associated with extreme overwork:

Karōshi — death from overwork.

Now, obviously, there is a large gap between working hard and karōshi.

But the concept reminds us that more effort is not automatically better effort.

Sometimes the answer is to keep going.

You don’t want to be the one who gave up right before winning.

I first heard the famous ‘Acres of Diamonds’ story on good ole cassette tapes (yes, those things).

Sometimes the answer is to change direction.

Sometimes the answer is to stop for a while, recover, think, and come back stronger.

AI is great at helping us generate ideas and find solid, real-world research.

I recently did a video about using AI to help think through what might be best to do in a given situation.

In fact, I just used ChatGPT and Gemini while putting this together for you. Both LLMs gave me some great historical and literary ideas to consider.

We have to keep going, but we must use our brains and do it intelligently.

That’s what I mean by Smart Persistence.

You don’t give up simply because something is difficult.

There will always be challenges.

But you also don’t blindly assume that the correct response to every challenge is MORE FORCE.

Here’s a process I’m finding useful:

• First, face the real-world, in-your-face challenge.

• Then apply effort — the right kind and the carefully crafted amount!

• But pay attention to what happens.

• Keep your eyes and ears open!

• Get feedback.

ChatGPT and Gemini can be very good for this.

Ask yourself:

• Is this working?

• What am I learning?

• Do I need to change the approach?

Then adjust.

And sometimes — this is the part we hardworking entrepreneurs can conveniently forget — recover.

• Step away.

• Take the walk.

• Exercise.

• Listen to music.

• Read something completely different.

• Ride your bicycle.

Or, in my case, ride your unicycle!

Let the brain lie fallow for a while.

Then return with renewed effort.

That isn’t laziness.

That can actually be part of the work.

Think about physical training.

You don’t become stronger simply by stressing a muscle endlessly.

The process is stress, recovery, and adaptation.

Take away the stress, and you don’t grow.

Take away the recovery, and eventually you break down.

Maybe there’s a larger principle here:

Smart Persistence isn’t merely knowing how to keep pushing.

It is knowing when to push, when to pivot, and when to recover.

Then get back in there and go again.

Smart Persistence simply is — Push, Pivot, Recover, Repeat.

That sounds like a much smarter way to deal with the challenges life throws at us anyway.

Here’s a video that can help you use AI to make those decisions — knowing when to push and when to pull back.

Before you push harder on your next problem, try this AI technique.

If you’re reading this on Substack, drop a note in the comments and how you practice “Smart Persistence” that works.

Let us know what works for you.

Key takeaway for you, my friend: Don’t just work harder. Know when to push, when to pivot, and when to recover.

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. The technique I show you in the video can dramatically improve your thinking, judgment, and learning.

Give it a try!

By that I mean: you don’t just keep banging your head against a brick wall when something isn’t working.

That doesn’t usually result in the brick wall falling down — but it does do considerable damage to your head.

(Not that I’d ever do anything like that!) 🤣

Too many times, we think a particular approach we take is the way to do it, and we keep banging away at the same old thing that isn’t working — hoping that “next time, this really will work.”

Yea, right. Lots of luck on that one, Scooter!

Now, there’s an important role for persistence — staying with a task to see it through.

You and I know that serious, worthwhile achievement comes from doing the right thing in the right way and persisting even when the going gets tough.

But I’d submit that as we go forward, we need to get guidance and direction along the way.

Sometimes, instead of trying to blast through that brick wall, it’s better to go around it, over it, or even tunnel underneath the damn thing!

The key is in the word smart.

Smart Persistence means going beyond just what you’re doing right now if something isn’t working.

Fortunately, today this is where our AI buddies come in.

You can do a huge amount of research — when you do it the right way — with ChatGPT, Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs).

Don’t forget to use the voice-to-voice capability so you can explore a lot of options fast, in an easy way, and land on solutions you might not have thought of otherwise.

I put together a video on this that can open doors for serious Smart Persistence, that you might not have known are available.

Don’t let this seriously helpful technology lie dormant.

Grab this rascal and use serious Smart Persistence to achieve your goals.

And then help all of us as you leave a comment on how you’re using an AI tool right now that’s helping you make better decisions.

This is what Smart Persistence is all about.

I look forward to hearing from you and finding out what’s working for you.

In the meantime, here’s a video that can help you with using technology for smart persistence:

To Your Success,
Terry

Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Leverage the daylights out of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini Notebook, Claude, and others. That video (above) can open a lot of possibilities for you.

Substack isn’t just another email tool. It’s like the best of Blogger, YouTube, and old-school Twitter—rolled into one platform that puts creators and connection first. From true owned distribution to community-building and seamless monetization, it’s changing how knowledge entrepreneurs reach and serve their audiences.

Here are 3 key takeaways for content creators considering Substack:

• You OWN your audience: On platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook, you don’t get access to your subscribers’ email addresses. On Substack, your list is yours. Export anytime, connect directly—no middleman headaches.

• Monetization is built-in (and EASY): Substack encourages paid subscriptions for recurring revenue, and takes only 10%—plus Stripe fees. You control free and paid content, set your tiers, and get paid for your knowledge.

• Vibrant discovery + notes feature: Substack’s algorithms and community recommendations drive organic visibility. The ‘notes’ feature fuels engagement—think micro-posts, not tweets—to bring in new subscribers and increase reach.

If you’re building a business around what you know (coaching, consulting, content, or courses), Substack is a platform you can’t afford to ignore. 💡

Curious how to get started, grow, or monetize more? Let’s connect—or check us out at Stark Raving Entrepreneurs!

Catch the full video (as a fellow Substacker, you’re gonna’ love this one!)

Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think (really!) about Substack. Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions? We eagerly look forward to hearing from YOU.

Terry Brock & Gina Carr

Stark Raving Entrepreneurs

Read that again.

Your idea can be genuinely brilliant — the real deal, the thing that could change how people think or work or live — and it can still die in silence.

Not because the world is too dense to get it.

Because you haven’t yet found an elegant, acceptable way to say it.

That is worth thinking about.

You might have a brilliant idea.

You might even be right.

But being right isn’t enough.

I sat down with ChatGPT for a voice conversation — and what it said surprised me.

(Catch the video below)

I’ve watched fellow writers and journalists rage against this.

“The world just doesn’t understand what I’m saying!”

And you know what — they’re right.

The world doesn’t understand.

But the conclusion they draw is wrong.

They assume the world is stupid. It’s not. The problem sits on the sending end, not the receiving end.

If you cannot communicate your idea in a way that another person can understand, accept, and see as beneficial, your brilliant idea might just sit there gathering dust.

That puts the responsibility back on us.

Smart marketers brutally ask themselves, “How can I explain this more clearly?”

“How can I make it more persuasive?”

“How can I connect what I believe is important with something that matters to the person I’m talking with?”

This is where persuasion becomes incredibly important.

And I would make an important distinction here.

Persuasion is different from force.

Throughout history, people have decided that they know the “right” way for everyone else to live and then tried to force others to comply.

I prefer another approach:

Live and let live.

Show me why your idea works.

Give me evidence.

Help me understand how I will benefit.

Then let me decide.

Make sure it is peaceful, not forceful.

That’s at the heart of voluntary exchange in a marketplace. When it works well, both parties participate because each believes they will be better off after the exchange.

The buyer receives something he or she values.

The seller receives something he or she values in return.

No force required.

Just communication, persuasion, value, and agreement.

And today we have tools available that can help us become much better at this.

That’s where AI gets particularly interesting.

I was in a Zoom call not long ago, a room full of smart people, everybody confidently declaring what they believed the answer to a shared problem was.

Strong opinions, all around the horn.

And I sat there thinking — why are we guessing?

We don’t have to anymore.

We can go check.

Get real double-blind, peer-reviewed data.

You can tap into real research on what people actually want, not what we assume they want.

Big Difference!

Make it your practice to use tools such as

• ChatGPT’s Deep Research

• Gemini

• Gemini Notebook

• Claude

• Grok, and others to look for evidence.

Not just guesses — EVIDENCE.

What are customers actually saying?

What problems are they trying to solve?

What objections keep appearing?

Of course, AI doesn’t magically make every claim true. We still have to inspect sources, challenge assumptions, and use judgment.

But we now have an extraordinary ability to research ideas faster than most of us could have imagined only a few years ago.

That changes persuasion.

Instead of saying:

“I think this will work.”

We can increasingly say:

“Here’s what the evidence shows. Here’s why it matters. And here’s how it could help you achieve something you already want.”

That’s a much stronger message.

Robert Greene’s point remains as relevant as ever.

Having the idea is only the beginning.

The next challenge is learning how to communicate that idea so effectively that another human being can see its value.

And perhaps that is one of the greatest opportunities AI gives us.

Not merely helping us generate more messages.

Helping us create better, more persuasive, evidence-based messages that connect with what real people actually want.

A great way to find out what people really want is with a voice-to-voice (yes, that’s what they call it) conversation in ChatGPT.

This is a new feature with the enhancements they’ve recently made. Check out this interview I had with my special guest, ChatGPT! Yes, this is incredible to see how my buddy, ChatGPT gave real world answers.

This is one you don’t want to miss:

What’s your preferred tool to check your assumptions before you hit publish?

Please leave your comment here on Substack or with an email to me. I look forward to hearing back from you.

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. This is a new era and a great way to explore break-through ideas. Don’t miss out on this. Grab that video now.

This past Sunday, August 9, OpenAI officially shut down their standalone Atlas browser.

As a Mac user, I actually jumped in early, used Atlas, and enjoyed it.

But I have to admit—it felt like OpenAI gave up on it almost as quickly as they launched it.

Despite using it on my desktop, it never made it to iOS or Android.

It just sat there as an isolated experiment.

Now, let’s be clear: I applaud OpenAI for taking the risk.

Innovation requires swinging for the fences, and trying to reimagine the browser was a bold move.

But as Creators, there is a vital lesson here about not putting all your eggs in one basket.

I remember in October 2025 (eons ago here in AI land) they were claiming that ChatGPT Atlas could put Google Chrome out of business.

Even back then, this jaded journalist was rolling his eyes skyward with a big

“Yeah, right!”

Cynically chiming in.

I used ChatGPT Atlas and enjoyed it. However, I found that Chrome, particularly with the AI additional tools like Gemini hanging around in a split tab, just did the job for me better and easier.

I’m still using that Gemini split-tab thingy almost every day!

But the big killer was when they posted (I’m not making this up)

“Currently available on macOS. Windows, iOS, and Android coming soon.”

OK, now you can say it with me…

“Yeah, right!”

(Eyes scrolling upward allowed for this one!)

For ten months, millions of users waited on a “Coming Soon” promise for Windows and mobile that simply never arrived.

Never happened.

That “Coming soon…” advice drew skepticism then and now lots of “I told you so” sneers from us skeptical, jaded journalists.

As of now, ChatGPT Atlas has folded back into the main desktop app, and the browser itself is history.

It’s time to bring a little “Jaded Journalist Skepticism” to our creative workflows.

At the same time we don’t beat up on the tech companies. Hey, they tried, and the market didn’t support it.

We call that “Learning a good lesson.”

Ouch!

And still I love my ChatGPT and the good folks at OpenAI who made it and keep making it better all the time (check out their newest Voice-to-Voice!).

And while this message is NOT to beat up OpenAI or others who test and try (actually we applaud them for their testing and initial hope) we can learn.

Here’s a strategy you and I can build as a result of this.

Lessons Learned from the Loss of Atlas

If you want to build an AI-assisted workflow that lasts, here are 3 rules of the road going forward:

1. Right Tool for the Job (and Check the Fine Print)

Never rely on a single AI platform for your entire operation.

Match your tasks to the right tools and master at least 2–3 options. A reliable trio like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini gives you strong coverage.

I use these 3 and a few others regularly in my work.

Bonus skepticism tip: Always read the terms of service. For example, while tools like Perplexity are popular, their $20 tier doesn’t allow for commercial business use—making it a non-starter if you’re building a business. Know your tools inside and out.

2. Build on What Exists, Not What’s “Coming Soon”

Never build your daily content routines around product roadmaps or feature promises.

If a tool doesn’t support your operating system, phone, or export needs today, treat it as a temporary playground—not the foundation of your business.

3. Hold Your Workflows Loosely

The AI landscape changes weekly. Products will launch, get hyped, and vanish in under a year.

As a Creative Conductor, keep your prompts, frameworks, and content ideas platform-agnostic.

If one instrument gets pulled off the stage, you should be able to pick up another without missing a beat.

That means you stay updated on what potential AI tool could do.

Stay curious, test the new stuff, but keep your workflow secure.

Don’t bank your company — and your reputation — on any one tool or company.

Here’s something that already exists (on ChatGPT) and has some powerful tools built in to make better decisions in business and your personal life:

What is your selection for the top AI tops you use? Let us know here on Substack and we’ll read every response

I look forward to hearing back from you.

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. We applaud the OpenAI for taking a chance. We learn from the experience of Atlas and move forward to learn what works and how to make it happen.

Familiar isn’t the same as safe. Yesterday reminded me why.

Just yesterday I nearly clicked on something called “OpenAI Studio.”

The name sounded legitimate.

After all, I use ChatGPT and other OpenAI products regularly, so my first reaction was, “Hey, has OpenAI released something new that I need to know about?”

Then I checked.

The promotion wasn’t sending me to OpenAI at all. It was directing me to an unrelated website using the “OpenAI Studio” name and making some very big promises about video, graphics, voice, copywriting, coding, and more.

Now, that doesn’t automatically prove the product is malicious.

It could be a really good product and offer, but I was concerned.

But it does prove something important:

A familiar name can create trust before trust has been earned.

And that matters more than ever today in a world of easy AI for everybody.

We are in a world where phishing, fake websites, imitation branding, AI-generated emails, cloned voices, realistic video, and convincing marketing messages are getting easier and cheaper to create.

In my own work I’ve seen a lot of other offers that lead to something completely different from what I thought it was initially.

Remember — a bad actor doesn’t necessarily need to break into your computer.

Sometimes they only need to persuade you to open the door.

That’s why Relationship Marketing becomes even more valuable in the AI era.

As Creative Conductors, we’re constantly evaluating new tools, new platforms, new AI models, and new promises.

That is part of the fun and what we need to do.

But our real job isn’t to become professional app collectors.

I know, I know, even though nerds like me LOVE that collecting!

Our job is to help people make better decisions.

THAT, my friend, is vitally important!

That requires trust.

When people know you, have heard from you consistently, watched how you operate, seen you admit when you don’t know something, and experienced you helping them without constantly trying to shove a product down their throat, something powerful happens.

That combination is powerful in business and, well, life in general.

They trust you.

And in a world where people increasingly wonder:

“Is this real?”

“Can I trust this link?”

“Is this really from the company it claims to be from?”

“Should I install this?”

“Who is actually behind this thing?”

…the trusted relationship becomes enormously valuable.

It is something you must protect at all costs.

This is another reason I believe Relationship Marketing is not becoming obsolete because of AI.

It is becoming more important because of AI.

Technology can generate content.

AI can create gobs of images, video, text, code, voices, websites, and much more.

But trust still has to be earned.

That means we Creative Conductors need to do something very old-fashioned while using very modern technology:

Tell the truth.

Verify before recommending.

Say what we know.

Say what we don’t know.

Protect the people who trust us.

And build relationships long before we ask for the sale.

In an AI world filled with increasingly convincing imitations, trust may become one of the most valuable assets you own.

So here’s my new three-step rule:

1. Recognize the Brand.

2. Verify the Source.

3. Trust the Relationship.

Because the next time something looks incredibly convincing, the most important question might not be:

“What can this AI tool do?”

It might be:

“Who do I trust enough to tell me whether I should use it?”

Always work to build trust.

If there is ever a misstep, oversight, or something that can diminish that trust, promptly swing into corrective action.

One way you can do that is by leveraging the daylights out of the ability for the AI tools to better search and create.

I had a fabulous, fun time in a recent interview I did with ChatGPT.

No kidding.

It went back and forth, and I got some great info in this voice-to-voice connection.

It was a genuine “Whoo Hoo!” time for me!

Check this out for a smile, a chuckle, and a lot of great ideas on how you can use this to build trust:

What are you planning to do to build trust in today’s AI world? Let us know what you think!

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Smart Relationship Marketers will recognize the dangers in our new AI world and take appropriate action. This is a great way for you to build relationships strong and better.

Relationship Marketing in an AI-Driven World

Episode Description

Ever wonder what would happen if you sat down and had an honest, no-holds-barred conversation with ChatGPT itself?

Well that’s exactly what I did in this episode — and the answers I got about jobs, relationships, and how to actually stand out as a human in an AI world might surprise you.

If you’re a creator, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur trying to figure out where you fit in all this AI craziness, this one’s for you.

Listen to this & other episodes on our podcast
https://bit.ly/sre_podcast

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The Big Promise - I sit down face-to-face with ChatGPT for a conversation you haven’t heard before
0:18 Who We Are - Quick intro to me, Gina, and Stark Raving Entrepreneurs
0:38 Chat vs. Work Mode - Why I use the “Chat” side of ChatGPT (not Work) for this kind of thing
1:03 The Voice Feature - How that little waveform circle turns ChatGPT into a real back-and-forth conversation
2:03 The First Big Question - I ask ChatGPT how AI can actually help us be MORE human, not less
2:31 ChatGPT’s Answer - Why letting AI handle the mechanics frees you up for what really matters
3:06 The “You-ize It” Concept - My take on why generic AI content falls flat, and what to do instead
3:59 What AI Does Better Than Us - Speed, pattern-spotting, drafting, and memory, ChatGPT breaks it down
4:56 Personalization Without Losing Your Voice - How to use AI drafts without sounding like a robot
5:54 The Job Fear Question - I ask ChatGPT point-blank: is AI coming for our jobs?
6:32 3 Ways to Stay Irreplaceable - The exact strategy ChatGPT lays out for staying valuable as AI grows
7:53 The “Terry-izing” Breakthrough - Why personalizing AI output is where the real value gets created
8:54 The Creative Conductor Concept - My big framework for using multiple AI tools without losing your mind
10:40 Building Your AI Orchestra - ChatGPT breaks down what each tool is actually good for
13:14 The Final Takeaway - ChatGPT’s parting advice for creators trying to cut through the noise -- this is amazing ! Wait till you hear ChatGPT’s advice!

WHY I DECIDED TO DO THIS
I’ve talked ABOUT AI on this channel plenty of times, but I had never actually sat down and interviewed it like a guest as I did here. So I figured, why not? I fired up ChatGPT’s voice mode and just went for it — real questions, real back-and-forth, no script.

BEING MORE HUMAN WITH AI’S HELP
The big theme running through this whole conversation is something I’ve been preaching for a while now: AI should handle the mechanics so you can focus on the meaning. ChatGPT itself said it best — it can organize, draft, and research, but it can’t replace genuine curiosity or lived experience. That part’s still all you.

WILL AI TAKE YOUR JOB?
I asked this one straight up because I know you might be thinking about it. ChatGPT didn’t dodge it either. The short version: AI replaces tasks, not whole humans, and the real risk isn’t AI itself — it’s someone who knows how to use AI better than you, taking your opportunity. We get into 3 practical ways to make sure that’s not you.

TERRY-IZING YOUR CONTENT
This is a concept I talk about a lot — taking whatever AI helps you gather and adding your own story, opinion, and personality to it. ChatGPT and I dig into why this step is the difference between content that feels flat and content that actually builds relationships with your audience.

THE CREATIVE CONDUCTOR FRAMEWORK
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I talk about being a “Creative Conductor” — using different AI tools the way a conductor brings in different sections of an orchestra at the right moment. In this episode, ChatGPT and I break down exactly how that works in practice, including which tools we use for which jobs.

MY TAKE
Look, I’m not here to tell you AI is going to save your business or destroy it. It’s a tool — a really powerful one — but the humanness, the trust, the relationship building? That’s still on us. Use AI to work faster and smarter, but never let it replace the you-ness that makes people want to work with you in the first place.

Got questions about how you’re using ChatGPT or other AI tools in your business? Drop them in the comments — I read every one and love hearing how you’re putting this stuff to work. And if this was helpful, hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

To Your Success,
Terry Brock
Stark Raving Entrepreneurs

Spizzerinctum! --- Action Displaces Despondency!

Disclosure: This video may reference third-party AI tools and platforms. Some links in this description may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through them. We only recommend tools we genuinely use and believe in.

#ChatGPT #AIforBusiness #CreativeConductor #StarkRavingEntrepreneurs #AITools #ContentCreation #RelationshipMarketing #Entrepreneurship

Episode Description

Ever wonder what would happen if you sat down and had an honest, no-holds-barred conversation with ChatGPT itself?

Well that’s exactly what I did in this episode — and the answers I got about jobs, relationships, and how to actually stand out as a human in an AI world might surprise you.

If you’re a creator, coach, consultant, or entrepreneur trying to figure out where you fit in all this AI craziness, this one’s for you.

Listen to this & other episodes on our podcast
https://bit.ly/sre_podcast

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The Big Promise - I sit down face-to-face with ChatGPT for a conversation you haven’t heard before
0:18 Who We Are - Quick intro to me, Gina, and Stark Raving Entrepreneurs
0:38 Chat vs. Work Mode - Why I use the “Chat” side of ChatGPT (not Work) for this kind of thing
1:03 The Voice Feature - How that little waveform circle turns ChatGPT into a real back-and-forth conversation
2:03 The First Big Question - I ask ChatGPT how AI can actually help us be MORE human, not less
2:31 ChatGPT’s Answer - Why letting AI handle the mechanics frees you up for what really matters
3:06 The “You-ize It” Concept - My take on why generic AI content falls flat, and what to do instead
3:59 What AI Does Better Than Us - Speed, pattern-spotting, drafting, and memory, ChatGPT breaks it down
4:56 Personalization Without Losing Your Voice - How to use AI drafts without sounding like a robot
5:54 The Job Fear Question - I ask ChatGPT point-blank: is AI coming for our jobs?
6:32 3 Ways to Stay Irreplaceable - The exact strategy ChatGPT lays out for staying valuable as AI grows
7:53 The “Terry-izing” Breakthrough - Why personalizing AI output is where the real value gets created
8:54 The Creative Conductor Concept - My big framework for using multiple AI tools without losing your mind
10:40 Building Your AI Orchestra - ChatGPT breaks down what each tool is actually good for
13:14 The Final Takeaway - ChatGPT’s parting advice for creators trying to cut through the noise -- this is amazing ! Wait till you hear ChatGPT’s advice!

WHY I DECIDED TO DO THIS
I’ve talked ABOUT AI on this channel plenty of times, but I had never actually sat down and interviewed it like a guest as I did here. So I figured, why not? I fired up ChatGPT’s voice mode and just went for it — real questions, real back-and-forth, no script.

BEING MORE HUMAN WITH AI’S HELP
The big theme running through this whole conversation is something I’ve been preaching for a while now: AI should handle the mechanics so you can focus on the meaning. ChatGPT itself said it best — it can organize, draft, and research, but it can’t replace genuine curiosity or lived experience. That part’s still all you.

WILL AI TAKE YOUR JOB?
I asked this one straight up because I know you might be thinking about it. ChatGPT didn’t dodge it either. The short version: AI replaces tasks, not whole humans, and the real risk isn’t AI itself — it’s someone who knows how to use AI better than you, taking your opportunity. We get into 3 practical ways to make sure that’s not you.

TERRY-IZING YOUR CONTENT
This is a concept I talk about a lot — taking whatever AI helps you gather and adding your own story, opinion, and personality to it. ChatGPT and I dig into why this step is the difference between content that feels flat and content that actually builds relationships with your audience.

THE CREATIVE CONDUCTOR FRAMEWORK
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I talk about being a “Creative Conductor” — using different AI tools the way a conductor brings in different sections of an orchestra at the right moment. In this episode, ChatGPT and I break down exactly how that works in practice, including which tools we use for which jobs.

MY TAKE
Look, I’m not here to tell you AI is going to save your business or destroy it. It’s a tool — a really powerful one — but the humanness, the trust, the relationship building? That’s still on us. Use AI to work faster and smarter, but never let it replace the you-ness that makes people want to work with you in the first place.

Got questions about how you’re using ChatGPT or other AI tools in your business? Drop them in the comments — I read every one and love hearing how you’re putting this stuff to work. And if this was helpful, hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

To Your Success,
Terry Brock
Stark Raving Entrepreneurs

Spizzerinctum! --- Action Displaces Despondency!

Disclosure: This video may reference third-party AI tools and platforms. Some links in this description may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through them. We only recommend tools we genuinely use and believe in.

#ChatGPT #AIforBusiness #CreativeConductor #StarkRavingEntrepreneurs #AITools #ContentCreation #RelationshipMarketing #Entrepreneurship

Nothing wrong with that!

However, that phrase is already becoming outdated.

How 2023!

Today, AI is moving out of the separate toolbox and onto your workbench — where you create, communicate — and build relationships.

When done right, you and I can focus on generating positive business results by building and orchestrating Relationship Marketing.

Instead of being the “app hopper” (frantic, exhausted, overwhelmed) you and I now embrace being the “Creative Conductor” (calm, strategic, getting results).

This is a major opportunity for you and me.

In today’s AI world, you are no longer jumping from one app to another.

Been there.

Done that.

Bought the agonizing T-shirt!

(Between you and me — focusing on learning every new AI tool just doesn’t work. Not that *I* would EVER try THAT idea!!! — Yea, right, Terry!)

Today, AI is showing up inside the place where you are already doing the work.

Just yesterday in our Stark Raving Entrepreneurs meeting, we showed our members what can be done with some specific tools.

One of our members generated a click-worthy thumbnail in under 2 minutes.

We have found that teaching alone doesn’t cut it.

Now we deploy IMPLEMENTATION (critical!) so our Stark Raving Entrepreneurs members get results they can use immediately.

The results our members got were amazing.

The way to make this AI world work for you is this important process:

1. Define the Problem

2. Analyze the tools that can help solve that problem

3. Conduct — orchestrate the right tools at the right stage

4. Review preliminary results

5. Execute on the solution

That same pattern is appearing elsewhere.

Use a variety of tools — but don’t try to master every one.

Our friend Claude is becoming a stronger everyday AI work partner.

I still use and love our friends, Castmagic and Taja.

And our ole buddy ChatGPT is consolidating image creation inside its main experience rather than sending users to a separate DALL·E GPT.

In fact, by August 30 (yes, this month), it will be “Bye-Bye Forever” to DALL·E GPT.

That is not a problem because OpenAI now has a tool called “ChatGPT Images,” which is even better.

If you’re still asking “which AI tool should I use,” you’re already behind.

A better question is:

“Where in my current workflow can AI remove friction while helping me serve people better?”

That is where the real opportunity lives, my friend.

Focus on the business results to build stronger relationships.

That is where you and I embrace the position of Creative Conductors.

We blend the tools needed to build better Relationship Marketing and help others achieve their goals – and make for a better “orchestration” for our customers.

For a coach or consultant, it might mean preparing more intelligently before a client conversation — while still bringing your human judgment, care, and experience to the table.

We are doing that now in our coaching to help clients find just the right combination of tools and the exact right tool for a specific task.

Notice the pattern.

AI can help us move faster.

But it cannot decide what matters to your audience.

Big difference.

It cannot replace your wisdom, your relationships, or your willingness to genuinely care about another human being.

That part is still the job for you and me as Content Creators and Creative Conductors.

Your competitive advantage will not come from merely having AI.

Today, just about everybody has that potential advantage.

What you are doing is orchestrating — THAT is your new competitive edge.

Use the tools.

But build the relationships.

That is how you win.

Want to get your mind (delightfully) blown?

If you haven’t seen this one yet, you need to check out YouTube Studio and Ask Studio to create incredible thumbnails with YouTube itself (WOW!) helping create just the right thumbnail for you. See link below by clicking on the video.

What steps are you taking now to position yourself uniquely so others see the value you bring?

Leave a comment on Substack or send us an email.

We read every reply.

Now is YOUR time to take advantage of this.

Don’t let this one get away!

To Your Success,
Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Yes, this is hotter than a $2.00 pistol! Get to know what Ask Studio can do for you.

Captain Kirk cheated on a test. It’s one of the smartest business moves ever put on film.

Being the die-hard Star Trek fan I am, my wacky noggin’ came up with an idea I wanted to share with you.

They introduced a concept called the Kobayashi Maru — a no-win training simulation at Starfleet Academy.

Cadets face an impossible rescue mission designed so that no matter what they do, they lose.

Sounds kinda’ like business today in 2026 at times, don’tcha think?

Except one cadet never lost.

James T. Kirk reprogrammed the whole damn simulation.

He didn’t believe in a no-win scenario.

We Midwestern kids (me and Jim Kirk) can be that way!

Here’s the part most people miss:

Kirk didn’t work harder inside the rules.

He questioned whether the rules were even the right rules.

Take THAT status quo!

This is not really a Star Trek story. It’s a story about how we Content Creators and Creative Conductors think — or should think.

The old approach: “How do I solve this problem?”
The Kobayashi Maru approach: “Who says this is the right problem?”

Big — and important — difference.

AI is extraordinarily good at helping us challenge assumptions.

We humans struggle because we’re emotionally attached to how we’ve always done things.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

ChatGPT: Challenge the Premise

Say you believe: “I have to publish three YouTube videos a week or the algorithm punishes me.”

Don’t ask ChatGPT, “Help me make three videos.”

Instead ask: “What assumptions am I making that might be false?”

“Give me five completely different strategies that achieve the business goal without publishing three videos a week.”

Suddenly ChatGPT is a strategic partner, not a typist.

Be wide open to other possibilities!

You don’t work harder.

You question the damn rules.

Gemini: Expand Your Field of Vision

Sales are down.

The normal reaction: “How do I sell more?”

Instead, upload your sales reports, customer emails, YouTube analytics, and competitive data, and ask Gemini: “Assume my biggest assumption is wrong. What patterns am I missing? What evidence contradicts my current strategy?”

That’s a Kobayashi Maru move — asking AI to prove you wrong. Sometimes that’s exactly what saves a business.

I’m thinking Captain Kirk would agree!

Gamma: Change the Conversation

Most people use Gamma to make prettier slides.

That’s nice — but thinking WAY too small.

Suppose your prospect says, “We don’t have that in our budget”?

Don’t build another sales deck.

Build a different conversation:

“The Cost of Waiting Twelve Months.”

Now you’re not discussing your fee -— you’re discussing the hidden cost of inaction.

Same facts.

Different game.

Bingo!

The Relationship Marketing Connection

Here’s where this really lands for us Creative Conductors.

The Kobayashi Maru wasn’t a technical problem — it was a relationship problem. Kirk didn’t out-compute the simulation.

He changed the terms of engagement.

Sometimes that is exactly what you and I need to do!

Ha! Take THAT status quo!

That’s exactly what Relationship Marketing asks of us.

A content creator asks, “How do I create more content?”

A Creative Conductor asks, “How do I orchestrate people, AI, ideas, and systems so the relationship (the key focus) deepens and the market gets more value?”

Everybody wins when we act like Kirk in the Kobashi Maru situation.

You as a Creative Conductor conduct the orchestra.

Remember an orchestra only works because of the relationships between the musicians, not the quality of any single instrument.

Your subscribers, clients, and audience aren’t algorithms to satisfy.

They’re relationships to cultivate. AI can help you ask sharper questions about how to serve them — but you have GOT to ask!

The Bigger Lesson

AI’s greatest value isn’t answering questions faster.

It’s helping us ask better ones.

And better > faster.

The entrepreneurs who win this decade won’t necessarily have the smartest AI.

They’ll have the courage to ask:

“What if the problem I’m trying to solve isn’t the real problem?”

Key question for us to ask!

That may be the single most valuable prompt in business today.

There is no no-win scenario.

Just ask Captain Kirk!

There’s just the next question you haven’t asked yet.

Please leave a comment below if you’re getting this on Substack. How are you dealing with your own version of the Kobayashi Maru?

I look forward to hearing from you.

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. Building solid mutually-beneficial relationships is what makes business work. How are you implementing that? I look forward to hearing what’s working now for you.

Spizzerinctum (also spelled spizerinctum, spizzerinktum, etc.) is an old American slang word meaning the will to succeed, vim, energy, ambition, chutzpah, guts, determination, ardor, or zeal.

I think spizzerinctum applies directly to you and me in the Age of AI and our theme here at Stark Raving Entrepreneurs.

Spizzerinctum means you and I should not create something WE think is nifty and groovy and then try to persuade the market to want it.

We Need To Practice Relationship Marketing.

Listen to what people say, watch what they do, and — here’s the most important part — pay closest attention to what they willingly buy.

You and I need to solve genuine problems, earn the trust of buyers, and create value that leaves everyone better off.

That’s Live and Let Live in action.

Then bring plenty of spizzerinctum (yes, it is a real word, not just another wacky “Terry-ism”!).

Spizzerinctum is the energy, determination, ambition, and inner fire to keep moving when life knocks the wind out of you.

You will experience disappointments, setbacks, and days when your confidence is running on fumes.

Welcome to Planet Earth. It sometimes works that way here.

Spizzerinctum doesn’t mean pretending everything is wonderful. It means facing reality, learning from it, adjusting your approach, and taking the next constructive step — even when you don’t particularly feel like it.

Listen carefully.

Serve generously.

Adapt intelligently.

Keep your spizzerinctum fully charged.

That’s how Relationship Marketing turns genuine service into lasting success.

If you haven’t seen this yet, you simply have GOT (yes, all caps) to check out this video.

It shows how you can fire up your learning for practical money-generating ideas using Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM). This is applying spizzerinctum in the real world with AI and Gemini Notebook.

This video makes it easy for you to learn and use it quickly:

Enjoy reaching the goals you have.

Get that spizzerinctum going for you (I know, I know — cool word, and Terry is throwing it around a lot!).

Please leave a comment here on Substack and let us know what you think about that spizzerinctum thingy! I look forward to hearing back from you.

To Your Success,

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. This is the attitude and mindset we need today when, not if, things sometimes go sideways. Think about this and apply it to your most challenging situations. I look forward to hearing from you and how it is working for you.

I recently discovered a feature within YouTube Studio that did exactly that. It is a tool so powerful that it is changing the way creators approach their most important visual asset: the thumbnail.

In the world of YouTube, your thumbnail is the “front door” to your content. It doesn’t matter how good your video is if no one clicks on it. This is why the new “Ask Studio” feature is such a game-changer. It leverages artificial intelligence to not only analyze your existing content but to suggest, modify, and optimize your thumbnails for maximum engagement.

In this guide, we will dive deep into how to use this new AI-powered tool, the common pitfalls to avoid, and how you can combine it with other AI platforms like Google Gemini to stay ahead of the competition.

What is YouTube’s “Ask Studio” Feature?

Located directly within the YouTube Studio interface, “Ask Studio” is represented by a small diamond icon found in the upper right-hand corner of your screen (usually positioned between the help icon and the notification bell). This tool is designed to act as an AI assistant for your channel, providing insights based on your specific video data.

While many creators use third-party tools for SEO and thumbnail design, having an integrated AI that understands your channel’s history and your audience’s behavior provides a unique advantage. It can look at your videos, understand the context, and offer suggestions on how to improve your Click-Through Rate (CTR) and audience retention.

The Secret to Getting Accurate AI Results

One of the most important lessons learned while testing this feature involves how the AI identifies your content. During an initial test, Terry Brock asked the tool to create a new thumbnail for a video about Claude Sonnet (an AI model). The tool generated a visually impressive thumbnail, but there was one major problem: it was for the wrong video.

The AI mistakenly pulled data from a different video about Gemini. To ensure the AI is looking at the correct content, you must follow this simple but critical step:

• Provide the URL: Always paste the specific URL of the video you want to analyze into the prompt.

• Be Specific: Tell the AI exactly what you want to change or improve.

• Verify the Output: Check that the text and imagery generated match the actual topic of your video.

Once the AI has the correct URL, it can produce spectacular results that are contextually relevant and visually striking.

Strategic Thumbnail Optimization

The “Ask Studio” tool does more than just generate images; it provides a strategic look at your visual hooks. When you ask it to optimize a thumbnail, it analyzes several key factors that influence viewer psychology:

1. Emotional Signal Test

The AI evaluates the facial expressions used in your thumbnails. For example, it might suggest moving away from a generic “shocked face” toward a more grounded or authoritative expression. This helps build trust with a professional audience while still maintaining a sense of urgency.

2. Visual Hierarchy and Legibility

A common mistake among creators is making thumbnails too cluttered. The AI provides feedback on clarity, ensuring that your text is readable even on small mobile screens. It may suggest adding a “glow” around the subject to make them pop against the background, maintaining a clean and professional “signature” look for your channel.

3. Actionable Feedback

The tool might suggest specific changes, such as: “Try a version where you are pointing toward the text to create a stronger visual lead.” These small tweaks can significantly impact how many people decide to click on your video versus scrolling past it.

Using AI to Fix Audience Drop-Off

Beyond thumbnails, “Ask Studio” offers powerful analytics insights. It can pinpoint exactly where viewers are leaving your video. For instance, if the AI shows a significant drop-off at the 2 minute and 17 second mark, you can go back and review that specific moment.

Ask yourself:

• Did I stop sharing valuable information?

• Was the pacing too slow?

• Did I say something that might have confused the audience?

While you might not always reshoot a video that is already live, these insights are invaluable for your future content. By identifying these patterns, you can avoid making the same mistakes in your next production, leading to higher watch time and better performance in the YouTube algorithm.

Ask Studio vs. Google Gemini: The Perfect Duo

While “Ask Studio” is incredible for analyzing your own data, it has one limitation: it does not analyze your competitors. It is designed to be a private tool for your channel’s internal metrics. It won’t tell you how you compare to other creators in your niche or what strategies they are using to succeed.

To fill this gap, you should use Google Gemini in tandem with YouTube Studio. Because both are Google products, they work well together. You can take the insights you get from Ask Studio and bring them into Gemini to ask for a comparative analysis.

“How does my thumbnail strategy compare to [Competitor Name]?” or “What trends are other successful YouTubers in the entrepreneurship niche using right now?” By combining the internal data from Ask Studio with the external web-crawling capabilities of Gemini, you get a 360-degree view of your YouTube strategy.

Key Takeaways for Content Creators

To make the most of these new tools, keep these actionable insights in mind:

• Embrace the AI Diamond: Don’t ignore the new icons in your YouTube Studio. Explore the “Ask Studio” features to see what the AI recommends for your specific channel.

• Optimize for Trust: Use the AI’s feedback to create thumbnails that look professional and authoritative, especially if you are targeting a business or entrepreneurial audience.

• Focus on Retention: Use the AI to identify “dead zones” in your videos where people lose interest.

• Integrate Multiple Tools: Don’t rely on just one AI. Use Claude for scripting, ChatGPT for brainstorming, and Gemini for competitive research.

Conclusion

The integration of AI into YouTube Studio is no longer a futuristic concept, it is here, and it is remarkably effective. Whether you are looking to fix a “bad” thumbnail or trying to understand why your audience is dropping off halfway through your videos, Ask Studio provides the data-driven answers you need.

As Terry Brock and the team at Stark Raving Entrepreneurs emphasize, these tools are meant to help content creators work smarter, not just harder. By leveraging AI to handle the technical analysis of thumbnails and retention, you free up more time to focus on what really matters: creating great content and connecting with your audience.

Go into your YouTube Studio today, find that diamond icon, and start experimenting. You might be surprised at how much of a difference a few AI-driven tweaks can make to your channel’s growth.

Watch the full video:

Not a stock photo.

Not a template.

I gave it my script for my video and it came back with a dog-gone good thumbnail — on brand, on message, done in seconds.

I’ve been Terry-izing a lot of AI tools lately. This one didn’t need much help.

What YouTube Studio did was amazing and powerful!

That’s the kind of results that make even this jaded journalist sit up straight.

What Actually Happened

YouTube recently rolled generative thumbnail creation directly into Ask Studio, its conversational AI assistant built into YouTube Studio.

If you haven’t met Ask Studio yet, here’s the short version:

It’s a chat interface (look for the sparkle icon) that helps Content Creators like you and me who use YouTube.

It will summarize comments, analyze your channel performance, and brainstorm video ideas.

It’s like having your own really smart robot helping you get work done!

It does all of this by pulling from your actual channel data.

It purposely does not look at what other YouTube channels are doing.

But what really blew this skeptical writer away is the ability to generate a thumbnail for the video — and it does a full-on great job!

Here’s what I did: I created the video like I regularly do.

I had my ideas and thoughts in mind (usually in a bullet form for me).

Then it created a thumbnail similar to one I uploaded.

This saved me HUGE (yes, all caps!) amounts of time.

I tweaked it a few times with colors, changing a word or two and some other “Terry touch-ups.”

But this is a lot more than just a “thumbnail tool.”

It’s a preview of where we are heading with AI.

Why This Matters More Than It Looks

Here’s the thing that struck me: this thumbnail didn’t come from a blank prompt.

It came from the transcript of the video I created.

The AI already understood the video’s theme, tone, and message because I’d fed it that context — and it built packaging that matched the product.

That’s Creative Conductor thinking in action.

You’re not asking a tool to invent something from nothing.

You’re orchestrating a tool that already knows your material and pointing it at a specific job: “package this well.”

My friend, this is a huge leap forward for us!

How Content Creators (and Creative Conductors) Are Actually Using It

A few patterns I’m seeing and testing myself:

1. Script-to-thumbnail as the last production step. Instead of screenshotting a frame or building something in Canva, creators are handing Ask Studio the script or description and getting a starting thumbnail that already reflects the video’s content — then refining from there.
   

2. Comment and performance insight, feeding the next video. Ask Studio’s original job — summarizing what your audience is saying, explaining why a video under- or over-performed — is still there, and it’s the ingredient that makes the thumbnail output smarter. Ask it “Why didn’t last week’s video perform” before you ask it “make me a thumbnail,” and you’re feeding it the right context to “You-ize” the output.
   

3. Iteration instead of one-shot generation. The conductors I see aren’t usually accepting the first thumbnail. They’re chatting it into shape — “make the text bigger,” “try a warmer background” — the same way you’d direct a designer, except the designer responds in ten seconds. Now THAT is a big deal! Oh my goodness!
   

4. Treating it as one instrument, not the whole orchestra. The creators getting the most out of this aren’t outsourcing judgment. They’re still deciding what the thumbnail needs to say and do. Ask Studio is doing the assembly; the Creative Conductor (that is YOU, my friend!) is still holding the baton.

The Trust But Verify Piece

A few notes before you dive in:

• Ask Studio is rolling out in stages — desktop web only for now, not yet on mobile. If you don’t see the sparkle icon, that’s why.

• YouTube is explicit that responses “may vary” in quality and don’t reflect YouTube’s own views — this is generative AI, not gospel. Again it is “Doveryay, no proveryay” as the Russians say, “Trust But Verify.” Доверяй, но проверяй.

The Bottom Line

Owning access to Ask Studio isn’t the differentiator — every eligible creator will have the same sparkle icon soon.

What separates the Creative Conductors from everyone else is what you feed it, how many rounds of chat you’re willing to put in, and whether you’re still the one deciding what the final piece needs to say.

Improvise, adapt, overcome — and let the AI hold the pencil while you keep holding the vision.

Have you tried Ask Studio yet? Let us know on Substack whatcha’ think.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.com

P.S. This is something you want to look into even if you don’t create YouTube videos. This is a trend we’ll see in many other tools going forward. It is flat-out amazing!