197: The Art of Training AI: Speeding Up Your Workflow Without Losing Your Creative Spark

What if the real secret to getting better results with AI isn’t finding the “perfect” tool, but learning how to work with the tools you already have to create the results you want?

In this episode, I’m joined by Sonya Sigler, an executive coach, attorney, and someone who’s been working with AI technology inside businesses long before AI became the shiny new toy on everyone’s mind. Sonya shares why AI isn’t a magic wand or a shortcut, and how working with it thoughtfully, through training and iteration, can actually enrich your creative process — not replace it.

If you’re a solo business owner or service provider feeling overwhelmed by content demands or frustrated that now there’s “one more thing” you have to learn, this conversation will give you a refreshing and practical perspective. We talk about how to experiment with AI without losing your originality, why evolving with the tools matters more than chasing the latest updates, and how small shifts in your workflow can boost your creativity.

Plus, I’ll share how this conversation pushed me to finally commit to using ChatGPT more intentionally, and how I’m building it into my own content creation process to work smarter, without losing soul or connection.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to AI and Creative Process

(00:33) Meet Sonya Sigler

(02:40) The Love-Hate Relationship with AI

(04:29) Training AI Tools for Better Results

(06:49) Using AI in Content Creation

(09:37) AI as a Collaborative Partner

(13:10) AI in Career Development and Job Applications

(17:11) Intellectual Property Concerns with AI

(20:07) The Power of Context in AI

(22:30) Iterative Process and Training AI

(25:17) Authenticity in AI-Generated Content