Had three great conversations this week with some really sharp people.

And a few of them got hit with a “Wait, what’s that tool called?” moment. The kind where halfway through a sentence they pull out their phone or crack open their notes app to jot it down.

That’s when I know I’ve got something worth sharing.

Seems to happen to me a lot. I’ll mention some random AI tool and boom — it stops the conversation. Probably because I spend way too much time nerding out on this stuff (some call it shiny object syndrome, I call it R&D). Either way, it’s why for better or worse I’ve been saying for years:

“I geek out on internet marketing (now AI marketing) so you don’t have to.”

But I also walked away from these convos with a reminder that has nothing to do with AI. I’ll share that at the end.

For now, let me tell you about the people and the tools and resources that got reactions.

If they’re taking notes, you probably should too.

Quick snapshot of who I was talking to to give you a bit of context:

• Brett Trainor from the Corporate Escapee podcast. I’ve been following his work for a few years and it was great talking shop with him on our experiences leaving our jobs and helping others do the same . If you’re trying to leave the corporate world behind, you have to check his stuff (tap his name above to go to his LinkedIn page).

• Carolyn Branco is a Chief Marketing Officer who works with startups supported by private equity and venture capital. She’s pretty geeky about marketing like me so we got along great. She reminded me of a book that inspired both of us to start our entrepreneurial journey: “The 4-Hour Workweek.”

• Former owner of a financial planning firm who sold his business and “retired” at 45. And not retired in the “lets gold all day sense”. But now he’s coaching and creating because he genuinely loves it. Another great example of what it means to redefine retirement. (Sorry there’s no name, I didn’t have his permission before I posted this).

The Click
An AI marketing training community I’ve been part of for almost a year. Led by Russ Henneberry, and honestly, his stuff is top notch. Super clear, simple explanations. Great community vibe. I’ve taken more AI courses and watched more YouTube videos than I care to admit — Russ stands out.

Pickaxe.ai ($)
This one’s pretty cool. If you’ve played with custom GPTs inside ChatGPT, imagine that… but bigger. You can build AI tools, embed them on your site, and even sell them. Think chatbots, interactive FAQs, tutorial bots, lead gen forms — all kinds of use cases. I’ve got at least 10 ideas already. I started building one but its not quite ready for prime time. I’ll share it with you when its ready – stay tuned.

n8n
AI agents are a hot topic. They can automate stuff most people still hire teams for. n8n lets you build these agents. For the record — I didn’t go super deep because the interface felt a little too technical for my taste. I’m not scared of complex tools, just picky about what I want to sink hours into. Still, if you’ve got time to learn it, this could be a business or career move for you in a niche with demand that is growing fast.

Go High Level ($)
This came up because the financial planner turned coach I was chatting with already used it. I’ve worked with it in the past for clients, so I shared a quick tip on how to better segment email subscribers using the survey form feature. I have a ton of thoughts on this tool but I won’t go into it here. If your’re curious I’ve got a full write-up on this on my consulting website → Go High Level review.

Beehiiv vs Substack
This came up with Brett, who’s starting to think about building his newsletter. I’m very biased toward Beehiiv (that’s what I use), but I did a quick head-to-head comparison to make sure I gave him a solid recommendation. If you’re considering starting a newsletter or trying to choose between the two, read my Beehiiv vs Substack breakdown here.

Found this updated version of Cuts Like a Knife a few months ago — feels way mellower than the original, but in a good way.

It’s still got teeth. Just doesn’t bite as hard. Still holds up.

And he’s not in the swimming pool this time.

I’ve played this live a bunch, solo and with a band — always gets a solid response. Like it unlocks something for people.

Pretty sure you’ll get that same hit when you hear it again. Maybe even jog a memory or two.

All these conversations began on LinkedIn. I simply shared what I was learning, interacted with others, stayed curious, and either offered or accepted invitations to chat.

Yeah, the tools are cool. But what really moved the needle this week? Real conversations. Human connection. Following curiosity.

These weren’t people I’d ever met in real life — and now I’m walking away smarter, more inspired, and with intros to people I never would’ve met otherwise.

Tools are great. But relationships are the real needle mover.

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