Have you ever had a brilliant idea while driving, only to forget it by the time you reached your destination? What if I told you that AI could not only capture those fleeting thoughts but transform them into actionable plans? This isn't science fiction—it's my new reality, and by the end of this email, it could be yours too.

It’s been 21 months since my book Ideaflow was published, and unexpectedly — catalyzed by the launch of ChatGPT just one month later — the period that many authors described as a victory-lap book tour was transformed into a front-row education in a thrilling new world. My own journey with generative AI has been transformative: what started as theoretical knowledge quickly evolved into practical application, reshaping not just how I work, but how I think. This unexpected journey has led me to discoveries that can transform your work and life too, starting with that drive-time revelation I mentioned.

The Drive-Time Revelation

Picture this: I'm driving home after a program planning meeting on campus, caught in rush hour traffic. Instead of zoning out to music or a podcast, I open up ChatGPT and start talking. I recount the meeting, pose questions, and explore ideas. By the time I pull into my driveway, I have a detailed first draft of my thoughts, far more nuanced and comprehensive than if I had waited until I got home to write them down.

My commute is now a creative catalyst.

This isn't just about convenience—it's about transforming dead time into creative time, turning my car into a mobile think tank. And the best part? You don't need to be an AI expert to do this. You just need to know how to ask the right questions.

The Knowing-Doing Gap

But here's the catch: knowing that AI can do amazing things is very different from actually using it effectively. It's like watching Steph Curry drain three-pointers and thinking, "How hard could it be?" You can watch game tape all you want, but when you step onto the court, you realize there's a world of difference between knowing and doing.

I've seen this gap firsthand. When I led a half-day session for one of the largest privately held organizations in the US to identify AI opportunities, we hit a wall. The participants couldn't imagine how to use AI because they lacked a fundamental understanding of what AI could do.

It was like trying to write a novel without knowing the alphabet.

Bridging the Gap: From Theory to Practice

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: before we can strategize about AI, we need to get our hands dirty with it. So I shifted gears. When a pro sports organization approached me with a similar question about the landscape of AI-powered possibilities, I decided to change my approach. Instead of theoretical explorations, I focused on practical, hands-on training.

Not as an end, but as a necessary beginning.

I started collecting real-world use cases, inspired by conversations I was having with folks on the front lines: how to use AI for salary negotiations, performance reviews, decision-making, and more. I created prompts, examples, and video tutorials. In collaboration with a gifted entrepreneur, we even developed an "AI Drill Coach" chatbot, designed to coach users in real-time via Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Despite the initial excitement, engagement was low. Perhaps you’re not surprised; Stanford research suggests that the chatbot delivery mechanism was less effective than other formats, even when the underlying content is the same.

The Email Series: Your Personal AI Trainer

As longtime readers know, I’m a big believer in iteration. Looking at the (un)engagement data from the chatbot gave me an idea: what if we could deliver this knowledge in a format that's already part of everyone's daily routine?

Enter an email series.

With the next organization that requested AI skill-building, we repurposed the underlying content powering “AI Drill Coach” into an email sequence. Each day, participants received a practical AI exercise straight to their inbox. No need to open a new app or remember to check a chatbot. It's all right there — use case, prompt to copy/paste, video tutorial — ready to be applied.

The impact? Engagement skyrocketed. People were not just learning about AI—they were using it, experimenting with it, and seeing real results in their daily lives.

Your AI Journey: From Fear to Familiar to Fluent to Fun

Folks started forwarding these emails to their friends — a “cool, not cool, but cool…” kind of development — which got me thinking: why don’t I share with my friends? Unlock the potential of not only corporate partners who are sponsoring broad organizational transformation initiatives, but individuals who are looking for a power-up?

Introducing the 5-Day AI Learning Sequence, a totally free email series designed to take you on a transformative journey with AI:

• Fear: We'll address common concerns and demystify AI technology.

• Familiar: You'll gain hands-on experience with AI tools in your daily life.

• Fluent: You'll learn to craft effective prompts and leverage AI for complex tasks.

• Fun: You'll discover the joy of collaborating with AI to enhance your creativity and productivity.

By the end of this series, you won't just understand AI—you'll be confidently and creatively using it to transform your work and life.

What You'll Learn

This isn't about becoming an AI expert overnight. It's about building a practical toolkit of AI skills that you can apply immediately:

1. How to craft effective prompts that get you the results you want

2. Techniques for using AI in creative processes, from writing to problem-solving

3. Ways to leverage AI for personal productivity and decision-making

4. Strategies for integrating AI into your professional workflow

Each lesson builds on the last, gradually expanding your AI capabilities. You'll receive practical tips, case studies, and links to additional resources, such as Loom videos and podcast episodes. And the best part? You're learning by doing, applying each new skill to real-world scenarios.

Join the AI Revolution

The AI revolution isn't coming—it's already here. But it's not about replacing human creativity and intelligence. It's about augmenting it, giving us tools to think bigger, work smarter, and create more efficiently.

As fan-favorite podcast guest Russ Somers discussed in our recent conversation, AI can not only help us do what we already know how to do, but better, it can also do things we don’t even know how to do ourselves! This is what we call "level two collaboration with AI"—where AI becomes not only a thought partner in your creative and problem-solving processes, but a capability-expander.

This email series is an invitation to join that revolution. Whether you're a business leader looking to innovate, a creative professional seeking new tools, or simply someone curious about the potential of AI, there's something here for you.

Ready to unlock the potential of AI in your everyday life? Sign up for the email series now. Over the next few days, you'll receive daily, bite-sized lessons that will take you from AI novice to confident collaborator.

And if you enjoy the flow, you can unlock even more exercises to take your game to the next level.

Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in the AI revolution.

P.S. Still skeptical? Check out my recent blog post, “Lose Your Thumbs, Find Your Voice,” where I dive deeper into how AI is transforming the way we think and create. Your journey from fear to fun starts with this email—don't miss out!

Related: Iterate to Innovate
Related: Lose Your Thumbs, Find Your Voice
Related: Beyond the Prompt: Russ Somers

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