Have you been asking yourself, “How do I use AI in my business?” You are certainly not the only one.
If your organization isn’t grappling with what AI means for your workflow, you’re likely already behind. Not because AI is “magic”—but because competitors are using it to move faster, reduce friction, and make better decisions with the same (or fewer) resources.
In many industries, trying to compete without integrating the right AI-driven tools is starting to resemble an accountant refusing to move from paper ledgers to computerized bookkeeping. You can do it… but you’ll be slower, more error-prone, and eventually outpaced.
The challenge is obvious:
There are thousands of AI tools available today—and thousands more being released constantly.
So where do you start?
I don’t claim to be an expert in the technical mechanics of AI. But I do understand how businesses grow, compete, and differentiate. And I want to share a shift that changed how I think about AI integration—based on what I’ve done right (and what I’ve done wrong).
My first realization: AI is the world’s greatest averaging machine
AI has absorbed a huge portion of human knowledge and can bring it to bear on almost any problem. That’s incredible.
But it also creates a temptation: to treat AI like the solution, instead of a tool.
Like many entrepreneurs, I chased shiny objects. I tried tool after tool. I spent time, experimented, and invested money. I ended up with a “stack” of AI tools… but my productivity didn’t increase nearly as much as I expected.
That’s when an old sales analogy hit me:
Nobody buys a drill bit. What they really want is a hole.
The mistake: starting with tools instead of outcomes
I realized I was approaching AI upside down.
Even though AI tools are powerful, they’re only useful when you know what problem you’re trying to solve. If you start with the tool (“Which AI app should we use?”) you’ll often end up with activity that feels productive—but doesn’t move the business forward.
The better starting point is the outcome.
- Where does work get stuck?
- Where do we lose time?
- Where do errors creep in?
- Where are decisions delayed because information is scattered?
- Where do we repeat the same work every week?
The right sequence for AI in a business
Here’s the approach I now recommend:
- Get crystal clear on the problem
Define it in plain language. Make it measurable if possible. “We spend 6 hours/week writing proposals” is a better starting point than “We should use AI more.” - Add human insight early
Your context, judgment, and experience are the differentiators. AI can generate, summarize, and structure—but it can’t replace your understanding of your customers, your standards, and your strategy. - Bring AI in to do the heavy lifting
Drafting, outlining, summarizing meetings, creating first-pass SOPs, building checklists, generating options, turning notes into client-ready material—this is where AI shines.
When your ideas and insight go in at the start, you get outputs that are unique to your business.
When you rely on AI to describe the problem and decide the direction, you’ll usually get average outputs.
And in a competitive market, the average is invisible.
The real opportunity: differentiation through clarity
AI won’t replace your business. But businesses that use AI well will replace businesses that don’t.
The winners won’t be the ones with the most tools.
They’ll be the ones with the clearest thinking—using AI to execute faster and better.
Question to consider: Are you currently using AI to avoid thinking… or to amplify it?
Want to discuss what AI means to your business? Book a discovery call today!