AI or DIE was the theme at #FixFest (copywriting festival) in London this week. Just looking at what people have been saying online, how they’re feeling about all things AI, and what side of the fence they’re on.
AI is having a massive impact on the industry. Some clients want you to embrace it, others don’t want you using it at all – it’s hard to know where to position yourself. Leif Kendall at ProCopywriters is working on a ‘Code of Ethics’ for the community.
The hypothesis was this…. Could generative AI be used to bypass the years it takes for a poet to find their voice and actually go one step further in creating a democratised mass poetic voice from a room of copywriters?
I spoke to Abha about her shift from corporate to solopreneur, and launching an online course that helps working mums kickstart their AI journey with joy (scroll down for the video!)
Helping working mums use AI to work better and faster – and make their first $ online
Hi Abha, firstly, I’d love to know where you grew up and your first job.
I was born in Mumbai, India. When I was three years old, we moved to the UK and lived there till I was nine. Then, we moved back to a small town in India (Aurangabad), where I finished high school.
Luckily, I was still young and fascinated by Indian culture, so no culture shock as far as I can remember!
When I was 18, we moved to Dubai. I went to university in Australia and then returned to work in Dubai.
Burnout led me to quit my job and try my hand at being a travel writer in Spain. The plan was for six months; I stayed for three years!
After my stint in Spain, I moved back to the corporate world in Dubai, where I now live with my husband and two children.
My first job was when I was 18. I was a production assistant for a film company.
Interesting. So, what inspired you to start your own business?
Apart from my adventure in Spain, I’ve been in the corporate world my entire life. After I graduated, I worked in advertising, which was short-lived – and then moved to PR.
After working in PR & comms for over 17 years, a lack of flexibility and limited growth opportunities led me to quit my job six months ago to start my solopreneur journey.
I believe in the transformative power of the internet and emerging technology. It will reshape our work and personal lives by giving us limitless tools to grow and reinvent ourselves without prior skills. We just need to start using them!
As I embark on a mission to redesign my life, I’m constantly experimenting with new tools to improve my productivity and efficiency.
This is where the idea for my business came from. It revolves around building a community of working mums who want to do the same: maximise their productivity and potential by learning to use emerging technology like AI.
The biggest challenge with AI is not knowing what to use it for and not realising its potential until we see it applied to achieve a task in record time.
I decided to launch my business to address these challenges, and it’s in its very early stages.
You launched your first online course recently.
Yes. It helps mums start their AI journey whilst having some fun. It teaches you how to write, illustrate, design, and publish a children’s book in one hour by using ChatGPT, Midjourney and Canva.
I also offer free resources on using AI tools and building a side income for those interested.
The aspiration for my business is my pursuit of time and financial freedom and a mission to inspire others, especially working mums, to believe in the possibility of creating a life that combines career and parenthood.
This is now so much easier to achieve with emerging tech at our fingertips.
Yes! Sounds fabulous. What are you most excited about at work right now?
I’ve been learning and reading about how to be a solopreneur for the last two years. I’m finally putting everything I’ve learned into action and loving it!
It’s a lot of work, and being a one-woman show whilst having two small kids is no easy feat, but I believe in what I am doing and feel grateful that I get to do this!
We are lucky in Dubai that home help is easily accessible and affordable. Because of this and my husband’s consistent encouragement, I have everything in place to build a life where I have time and financial freedom.
How do you stay on top of industry trends?
I subscribe to and read alot of newsletters and pay for a handful of them! There is so much content out there – relying on people you trust and can relate to, who know what they are writing about and are enjoyable to read, is the best way to filter out the noise and stay on top of what you need to know.
In order to get the land of cool, you have to climb Cringe Mountain
How are getting yourself out there, building a network and finding collaborators?
I started focusing on my marketing efforts at the beginning of this year, and I need to get better at it and be more efficient.
Once I started on my own, I realised how much harder it is to do your own marketing than it is to do it for other people or brands.
I’m keeping my email list engaged with a weekly Substack newsletter and working on some free resources to help grow my list. I’ve been repurposing some of that content on social media.
I’ve been showing up on Instagram almost daily and being more active on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Medium. I’m also planning to launch my YouTube channel in February!
I am part of many communities and have been networking there. This has led to several speaking and podcast opportunities, all of which I have taken!
To sell my online course I had to be super active on social media. I feel like I am at the top of the cringe mountain, but I’m past caring, lol. I also experimented with Facebook and Instagram ads.
Now that I better understand what I am trying to solve, I’m finally building a website that will help me better serve my audience.
I hope all of this will give my business the boost it needs to take off. Consistency is key, as they say, for at least two years!
Good luck with YouTube. You’re very engaging on screen, so I’m sure you’ll smash it!
What does ‘success’ mean to you these days? How do you balance ambition and contentment?
I think the definition of success changes depending on which phase of life you’re in. Right now, it’s making money by doing what I love and having the freedom to do that in a way that fits with my life and kids.
My ultimate success would be time and financial freedom to spend my days as I please.
Interestingly, I feel lucky that my success and happiness are mutually exclusive. If they come together, my happiness will magnify, but I am happy nonetheless (cheesy, I know!).
I am also of the mindset that I am so blessed that I get to be on this journey, so I have an obligation to succeed! The failing is in giving up; if I don’t give up, I know I will make it. That’s my current mindset.
“Dubai has THE best food in the UAE!” Dishes to devour when you get there…
You mentioned burnout earlier and quitting your job. How do you take care of your health?
As I’m just starting my business, I am very driven and tend to skimp on sleep; there is so much to do, and I am eager to get on with it. I am so wired, but therefore also tired.
I am very aware of it, though, and I try not to ignore how I feel for too long. Reminding myself of the law of diminishing returns is very helpful in these cases. So, if I feel exhausted, I choose rest – even if I don’t want it!
I am also trying my best to do the basics consistently. Exercise is non-negotiable, and I workout a few times a week. I’m trying hard to take breaks.
I also try to eat clean at least five days a week, but it’s hard when you’re at home and you know where the keys to the snack cupboard are!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
You don’t learn anything by osmosis. You learn by taking action. Get comfortable taking messy action! – Jessica DeRose…also an online business coach.
Yeah. That’s my mantra. It’s easy to get stuck in the ideas phase and think we have to have it all perfectly in place before taking action. But life is too short!
Are you happy? Is there anything you’d change?
I’m the happiest I have been in ages. Not having a stressful and depleting job has shifted my energy enormously. I am using this newfound energy and optimism to build my own business.
I get to see my kids more and manage my own time – I really could not ask for more!
Now I just need to make it work so I never have to go back to a 9-5 😁
Can you recommend one book, podcast, and course for digital entrepreneurs?
This is the last book I read, and it’s been a game-changer for how I think about time.
As a working mum, I struggle with time and have always seen it as being in short supply. The book introduces the concept of ‘Einstein Time’, which makes you realise that WE are the source of our time.
This means time is not finite, and because we are the producers of time, we can create as much of it as we want! This book also introduced me to being in your ‘Zone of Genius’, which was revelatory!
Steph Taylor is a student of Amy’s, and she has a great podcast focused on the magic of taking ‘imperfect action’ and how done is better than good. It’s an important reminder not to get stuck on our quest for perfection that rarely moves us forward.
Who should we interview next and why?
Anna Burgess Yang would be great for you. She left a 15-year career in fintech during Covid (and her husband did too, I think) as a product manager to pursue work she loves. She creates resources for solopreneurs and small businesses.
I’d be happy to connect you if you’re interested?
Definitely – thank you! Also curious to know more about your Spanish adventure…next time! And I need to get my ass over to delicious Dubai for some sunshine and shopping.
How can readers get in touch with you?
My website is almost ready! It has all the information here.
Check out Abha’s wild ride so far! You are a part of it, so let her know what you think.
If you enjoyed reading this, join The Shifties for the full experience.
This week, Substack rolled out Notes, a new way to share short-form content on the platform to help drive discovery.
Not the quiet product launch they were expecting!
Elon dubbed it ‘the Twitter clone,’ which they deny – and apparently began to restrict promo and visibility for tweets with links to Substack posts (The Verge).
So much for Twitter being the platform of free speech.
How bizarre to block links to ‘competitors’. He’s cutting off his friends and allies publishing on the platform. How are writers/journos supposed to market their work?
“Twitter Files” journalist Matt Taibbi said he’s leaving the platform after Elon’s latest changes have made it ‘unusable’ for him. NPR has also quit over the government-funded label.
It doesn’t spread goodwill towards Twitter or make you inclined to pay for it, even with Creators Subscriptions to earn income from writing. They shut down Revue!
Political battles and, once again, writers take the hit. It’s also backfired and given a tiny product launch full-scale media coverage. It’s not often we see a product story hit the headlines.
Shakespearian shenanigans! The ‘battle of the bros’ – Elon Vs Matt, Hamish and Chris 😉
Check out this interview with Kara Swisher (New York Magazine). No names mentioned, but Kara doesn’t shy away.
Chris and Hamish handled themselves well; you can read between the lines. They also discuss the challenging business model of newsletters.
I am surprised Substack has gone into the social space, but I can see the logic. They are building “a subscription network”, and this will reduce their reliance on other platforms.
But building an ecosystem around social media is very different to running a paid newsletter – and content moderation is a big job.
I published my first note last night. It looks like Twitter, but doesn’t feel like it… much calmer, with no ads and a hospitable welcome from the team, appreciated. Less friction – you can subscribe directly from a note.
Substack is positioning Notes as a tool to help writers more easily get subscribers. It’s early days, so let’s see. Not keen to spend more time online, but if it’s fun to use and helps get more eyeballs on your work, all well and good.
Yet another reminder about the importance of owning your list and not building your biz on rented land.
I’ve redirected my Substack URL to my website, which will hopefully get around any Twitter nonsense.
Well, at least we’re not bored!!
Nika 🙂
The Shift Hot 5 🔥
The 2023 Unsung Content Entrepreneurs. Usually, the 1% making the big bucks get all the attention. Great to see The Tilt spotlighting ‘middle-class’ creators who are making money from their content biz. A diverse and inspiring list!
Google’s latest update evaluates product reviews about services, media, and other things – articles, blog posts, pages. Worth keeping an eye on if you publish reviews beyond product reviews on your site.
Lofi Girl’s universe grows! French YouTube channel and music label Lofi Girl released a 24/7 livestream featuring Lofi Boy – a new character. Official title: “Synthwave – beats to chill/game to”. A new realm of retro-futuristic sounds to work to!
Is there life after influencing? Internet personality Lee From America wanted to see what life was like as plain old Lee Tilghman. How easy is it to leave lucrative brand partnerships and high follower counts behind? NYT profiles her move from TikTok creator to corporate (got round the paywall on Reddit).
Lee’s new creative outlet is a Substack called ‘Offline Time’ – interesting comment about having to take the app off her phone: “Oh god, this is becoming a social media app”… 🤦🏻♀️
Bionic Reading – become a super reader. Oh, to read a book a day again! Shallow forms of reading can dominate the internet. Read faster and retain info better. A typographical trick that works by highlighting certain words in the text – your brain reads faster than your eyes. Free to download.
Thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions? Email nika@nikatalbot.io or follow me on LinkedIn for content tips.
“Why learn anything when you can get AI to do it for you?”
I saw that comment on a LinkedIn post by writer Yessica Klein on the back of the ChatGPT4 release this week.
She said her heart skipped a beat as a lifelong learner and curious person. Her job as a writer is to make AI work in her favour and ALWAYS use critical thinking and fact-checking to ensure accurate information. “Yes, I’m a fan of OpenAI – but what will happen to critical thinking? Can we trust the feedback loop?”
I agree. It sets alarm bells ringing. Shallow thinking patterns? SEO-stuffing? Will we rely on AI too much for decision-making? I worry that short-sighted decisions are being made (letting writers/marketers go etc) based on new technology we don’t completely understand yet.
The AI space is moving at a dizzying pace. We need to let the dust settle and see the bigger picture. Integrate AI into our workflow and, learn more, upskill teams – right now, it seems to be solo writers and marketers tinkering around with it.
Had to chuckle at this piece by Digiday on the AI race – all the latest developments. Pretty soon, we’ll need our own AI to keep up with – and make sense of – the updates.
Imagine when GPT5 rolls out… we’ll be queueing up for brain transplants.
Fascinating to see some of the use cases – personalised learning – Duolingo’s new AI-powered virtual tutor for £20 a month. The Icelandic government is using AI to preserve the country’s language – fantastic.
I’m experimenting with ChatGPT – as a digital assistant. I’m excited to see how it can help me to be more productive and creative, but I can’t see how it will save me time (too much fun). It reminds me of an ex who refuses to use Sat Nav because it sends you round the houses – the journey takes longer. He likes map-reading and using his brain.
Very sensible 🙂 Good to set some boundaries around it.
There are also copyright issues to resolve re creators’ images and works, unintentional plagiarism etc.
WIRED just published a piece on how they will and won’t use generative AI tools – aggressive against its use. Smart move. Good to see them taking a stand.
Writers must do the same and say how they use AI in their content. I should add it to my Terms of Service and website. One for #CopywritersUnite.
Interesting perspective from Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of Marketing AI Institute. He says as more shiny tools flood the market, real content, human-made, will become more valuable. People will crave content that comes from human hearts and minds.
I find that reassuring. It also means we can potentially charge more for our work 😉 Can you afford real human content?
I like the idea of having a ‘Certified Human Content‘ badge or watermark for authenticity. I can’t do that on my Substack posts – be interesting if a tech platform like Substack, as WIRED has, took a stand on it.
He also said we’re having the wrong conversation. It’s not about AI taking our jobs (it will create more work). LLMs are getting all the media attention right now, but AI goes much deeper than ChatGPT. We’re talking about the personalisation of experience, content, and decision-making.
Autonomous human robots – one robot for every human on the planet – are the end goal.
Personalised newsletters – yes! I see the value in that. But what I really want to know is how AI will give us back time, extend our lives, and help our productivity and happiness?
I want to live to a ripe old age. A happy, healthy life frolicking in the Italian countryside. Reading books and writing with the sun on my back. Making olive oil, drinking local wine and eating tomatoes that taste like tomatoes…
If AI can help me get there, I’m interested!!
Companies need to make a shift in content strategy – a more human approach.
And part of my strategy is saying no to things.
I’ve signed up for MAI’s AI for Writers Summit on March 30 to learn more about ChatGPT and other tools – you can sign up here for free (courtesy of Writer.com).
Nika 🦾
🔥The Shift Hot 5
LinkedIn launches ‘Collaborative Articles’ – using AI to expand its content, beginning with a new initiative, which will use AI prompts to call on users for expertise and input. Smart move. It’s harder to start a conversation than join one. To incentivise, they’re also adding a Community Top Voice badge. Play the LinkedIn game!
The Solo Author – Diego’s Pineda’s new book for solopreneurs. Enjoying this – actionable advice and exciting ideas on content marketing and thought leadership evolution. His niche is how to write a book and leverage it for your business. Check it out at soloauthor.com (free chapter).
Newsletter Growth Tips from Josh Spector. 13 bite-sized videos on YouTube. Advice on finding your niche, free vs paid, building a content system, pricing ads, client acquisition and more. Super handy to have all this in one place – thanks, Josh.
Building in Public Definitive Guide 2022 – a free guide to the ‘building in public’ movement from content creator Kevon Cheung. Benefits, channels, writing tips and his Public Lab. I’m enjoying Kevin’s column in Courier on audience-building and growing an online business.
In my 20s, I left a journalism job in Peterborough to freelance in London. I wanted to work on women’s magazines and thought I’d be happy once I got my dream job in the big city. The reality was quite different. Precarious work on low pay was stressful. When I landed shifts on glossy titles, I didn’t enjoy working in an all-female environment that felt competitive. I wasn’t very happy but I stuck at it – living the dream, right? I’d be happy once I was sorted with a proper job and a home. Then I could relax and enjoy London for all it has to offer.
I now prioritise my happiness and realise it’s a skill we can work on. I can’t control my thoughts or the outcome of my pitches and projects, but I can control how I spend my time. Rituals and habits are the building blocks of my day. I do the Writers’ Hour with London Writer’s Salon and a walk/run. I thought having a routine and doing the same things every day would stifle my creativity but I think you can boost creativity through constraints – as long as they are the right ones that make you happy (for me, that’s working remotely and being around for Julieta, and having a studio space I love).
The challenge is to stop thinking I can be happy by being busy. Trying to do too much leads to time poverty, which means I don’t get joy from anything. So, being mindful about how I’m working and creating little moments of joy to boost my energy and bringing that to others. Yesterday, I told a friend I love her to bits and I’m happy she’s in my life. It made me feel great (and her too). I need to do this more often, as well as writing down the things I’m grateful for.
What’s the secret to happiness? After looking at thousands of studies Arthur C Brooks, author of How to Build A Life concludes enduring happiness comes from human relationships, productive work, and the transcendental elements of life.
Make a list of the attachments in your life you need to discard. Then make a plan to do just that. The fewer wants there are searching inside your brain and dividing your attention, the more peace and satisfaction will be left for what you already have.
I’m getting rid of stuff that doesn’t bring me joy.
Enjoy this issue 🙂
Tools for thought
😍Wellcome Collection’s On Happiness, a season of free events, activities and two exhibitions: Joy and Tranquility – bringing together voices from across cultural, scientific and spiritual fields to reflect on happiness. All very timely – how do we rebuild happiness for our current times?
🎞Short of the Week: Steve Cutt’s Happiness. The story of a rodent’s quest for happiness and fulfilment through the tropes and traps of modern society. The dehumanising effects of capitalism and consumer culture. Surely his best film to date 🙂 Soooo much juicy detail in the background.
🧠Ness Labs – Build a lab for your mind with neuroscience-based content and conversations. How to practice unbounded learning, self-education, a library of content, a weekly book club – expand your antilibrary. Co-working sessions and meetups with a brilliant community.
👀 How to help your kids be responsible digital citizens, from a tech exec (and mom). When you give a child their first smartphone, don’t send them into the digital world unprepared. Practical tips (and a template) from Jennifer Zhu Scott on how to be a digitally responsive citizen and make smart choices – whatever your age.
📕Sarah Hawley’s biggest project to date is Growmotely, an all-in-one global platform for remote hiring. Brilliant podcast: Conscious Culture – The Evolving Future of Work. ‘We’re just warming up so I imagine it’s going to get juicier and juicier!’ I’m also enjoying her new book: Conscious Leadership – A Journey From Ego to Heart.
Have a great weekend 🌈
Nicci
The future of work is now
Let’s build it. The Shift is a newsletter about humans, technology and wellness. Rethinking how we live, work and play. Weekly curated tools for thought and ideas to share ✍️
To offset the carbon emissions of this newsletter and my online work, I plant 12 trees every month via Ecologi. I encourage you to do the same in your country – here’s a list of climate action groups 🌍
Nika Talbot 