Will AI Render Coaching Redundant? - How You Can Make The Artificial Authentic...

If you read nothing else - make sure you are editing everything! To Copy/Paste straight from an AI platform into yours makes you look like a bot!

Let me begin by stating that I am not here to get in the way of progress, make anyone's life unnecessarily harder or Skiiiiiiiiinnnnnner the situation. The rise of AI as an accessible, everyday tool has made it easier for coaches and business owners to format ideas, create content and brainstorm.

But will it render you redundant?

As a coach, you are a person of influence whether you like it or not. You are paid for your expertise, your knowledge and your lived experience. While you may pour your heart into planning and running every client session and workshop - if you are using AI to create ALL the other content you are putting into the world (Social Media Posts, Blogs, Articles, eBooks, One-pagers, Guides, Courses etc), your clients will start heading to AI for instead of coming to you!

Prompt: I am struggling financially and I know that issues around my money beliefs are holding me back. How do I overcome my roadblocks around money beliefs? What are some practical steps I can take?

The response begins, "It's great that you're acknowledging the connection between your beliefs about money and your financial situation. Our beliefs can have a profound impact on our actions and decisions, especially around money." before going on to offer a 12-step plan to help identify and overcome these roadblocks.

 Are these practical steps you believe in? Probably!

 Could you be telling your client similar things? Sure!

Does this begin to scratch the surface of the how, the why and the ongoing? Abso-fucking-lutely not!

AI is ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. It is computer learning. It does not come equipped with ethics, emotions and understanding.

When I realised that I could halve my output time by having AI "help with" (read: DO) my copywriting, content and client requests - I was initially ecstatic! Life was going to be a breeze. All I needed was the right prompt combinations and I'd never have to work a full day again in my life 😉

Quickly though, I became very aware of the influx of content to market that was pulled straight from AI...

• Grammatical and phrasing patterns.

• Word choices.

• Americanised spelling...so many Z's in place of S's

Then there was the "Side Hustle" & "Girl Bossification" of these tools...

"Create an online course in 2 hours and make $10k next month"

"Write an eBook a day and start selling on Amazon now!"

It hit me - I'd never need to work a day in my life! Was I out of a job?

AI does not know your story.

It cannot weave the narrative of your business.

No matter how good the prompt. It cannot connect with your audience on a personal level.

A current and poignant example of this is the recent US Writers' Strike. Amongst many conversations regarding pay, working conditions and streaming royalties (that I will not pretend to be knowledgeable enough to talk about), were serious demands around AI in place of human writers.

A great article in The Guardian (linked below) states that the petitioned for contracts do "not outlaw the use of AI tools in the writing process, but it sets up guardrails to make sure the new technology stays in the control of workers, rather than being used by their bosses to replace them". A clause and mindset that they are hoping becomes standard, no matter the industry.

How does this apply to you as a coach or business owner?

Use the technology! It is a super valuable tool. However, you should set up your own guardrails to make sure you are always staying consistent with the authenticity of your business.

Strategies for incorporating AI into your business model without losing yourself and watering down your influence.

If you read nothing else - make sure you are re-reading and editing everything! To copy and paste straight from AI platforms into yours makes you look like a bot!

YOU are the most interesting thing about your business to the people following you. Make sure you give them a small taste in everything you are asking them to consume!

Be Crystal Clear On Your Brand!

If I have said it once, I've said it a million times - your brand is not your logos, fonts and colours - they are PART of your brand. Your brand is the story you are putting out into the world. It's the way to elicit an emotional response, a connection with your business. People should be able to recognise something as "yours" without knowing it was created by you.

Being absolutely sure of who you are, what you stand for and how you want your clients and collaborators to feel when they interact with you, means that your messaging will always sound like you, even when you've had help.

Who The Hell Are Ya Talkin' To?

What are you Creating and who is it for?

• A newsletter to nurture the clients and collaborators you already work with or a socials post to let potential buds know who you are?

• Are you talking to your ideal client or someone you want to team up with?

• Where in the 'Know, Like, Trust' model is this sitting?

It's all about context, context, context, baby! Anyone can slap a question into Google and get a generic answer but what you can offer is your lived experience, qualifications, story and vibe on top.

Never Have I Ever..

Open yourself a Google Doc (or whatever cloud-based writing situation you prefer) and start a list of words and phrases that do not align with your business.

Don't stop there, if there are any brands, creators, authors, speakers, mentors, celebrities etc. that you don't align with - note them down.

Having this always accessible means that even on your most tired and uncreative day, you will not run the risk of AI-generated content slipping through your brand values.

Writing Does Not Come Easy To Me - What Then?

Incorporating AI as a tool in creating your content plans, eBooks, courses etc. is a great way to kick procrastination in the ass and help you format your ideas but it can not, and will not replace you.

Anyone interested in what you are saying is doing so because they are interested in YOUR view!

Your insights, Your experiences and your expertise are invaluable - treat them as such!

Just for fun, after writing this I did a little experiment and wanted to see what chat GPT thought I wanted to say....

Prompt:

Can you please write me a short article titled "Will AI Render Coaching Redundant? - How You Can Make The Artificial Authentic..."

Short Introduction - about this article not out to yuck anyone's yum and AI being accessible

Heading 1 - "but will it make you redundant" - this paragraph is about context. if someone's output is all AI generated, people will go to ai for answers rather than to the coach.

Heading 2 - "AI is ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. It is computer learning. It does not come equipped with ethics, emotions and understanding. " - this paragraph is about the pitfalls of relying only on AI (context errors, grammatical misunderstands, Americanised spelling, things feeling soulless). Also please reference the 20232 writers strike demands as an example of AI needing to be a tool for human writers, not a replacement and how this correlates to business owners.

Heading 3 - "Strategies for incorporating AI into your business model without losing yourself and watering down your influence.: this will have the following subheadings. can you please come up with a short strategy for each?

- Be crystal clear on your brand

- who the hell are ya talkin to

- never have i ever (words and phrases you do no use)

- writing does not come easy to me - what then?

- AI as part of your content plan, not in place of it

short conclusion

The audience for this post is coaches and small business owners. please make it informative, and entertaining. I would like to come across knowledgable but fun.

Output:

Will AI Render Coaching Redundant? - How You Can Make The Artificial Authentic...

 

It's the 21st-century conundrum: while AI swoops in, wowing with instant results and accessibility, how do we stay unique and valued in our professions? This article is not here to poop on the AI party. Instead, let's explore how to embrace the artificial without losing the authenticity that makes you, well, you!

 

But will it make you redundant?

 

Ever heard of the 'context conundrum'? If a coach purely relied on AI for all their content and output, the students might as well chat up Siri or Alexa for answers. Without the genuine human touch, without understanding the context and nuances of an individual, AI can sometimes miss the mark. The audience you've nurtured will undoubtedly start seeing through the robotic ruse and would rather converse with the original AI than a coach who is perceived as an AI echo.

 

AI is ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. It is computer learning. It does not come equipped with ethics, emotions, and understanding.

 

There's a reason we don't ask Siri about love or have deep philosophical discussions with Alexa. AIs can crunch numbers and generate phrases faster than any of us. But they don't grasp context like humans, leading to occasional errors or uncanny results. Think about the sometimes-awkward grammatical misunderstandings, the relentless Americanized spelling, or even that slight feeling of soullessness in the content. The 2032 writers' strike, where writers campaigned for AI to supplement their work instead of replacing it, stands as a testament. Business owners, like writers, should view AI as a tool, not a complete substitute.

 

Strategies for incorporating AI into your business model without losing yourself and watering down your influence.

1. Be crystal clear on your brand: AI is a fantastic tool, but it works best when given a direction. Define your brand's voice, tone, and values, and ensure any AI-generated content aligns with these.

2. Who the hell are ya talkin' to: It's easy for AI to produce generic content. Always customize and personalize this content to resonate with your audience.

3. Never have I ever (words and phrases you do not use): Set parameters. If there are certain words, phrases, or tones you'd never use, make sure your AI knows that. Tailor it to be an extension of you, not the other way around.

4. Writing does not come easy to me - what then?: If you're not a natural writer, that's okay! Use AI to draft content, then infuse your personality into it. Personal stories, experiences, or anecdotes can transform an AI piece into something uniquely yours.

5. AI as part of your content plan, not in place of it: Use AI as a complement. Maybe it can help with research, initial drafts, or even analyzing feedback. But always add the final human touch.

In Conclusion...

Embracing AI doesn't mean trading in your authenticity. It's all about finding a harmonious blend, where the efficiency of AI merges with the genuine connection of human touch. Coaches and small business owners, it's time to turn that binary code into a brand that's unmistakably you. Stay knowledgable, stay authentic, and hey, have a little fun along the way! 🤖❤️👩‍🏫

When you are next having a scroll, keep your eye out and very quickly you will notice content that does not seem totally in line with the vibe and vision of some businesses and coaches you follow.

Sources:

The Guardian - How Hollywood writers triumphed over AI – and why it matters: 1 Oct 2023 

The Catalyst 6: The 6 pillars of a successful and sustainable coaching business - Created by Cat Valentine & Jess Simpson 2023