Man, I used to geek out hard.

When the internet showed up into our lives back in the late ’90s, it felt like magic.

I’d sit at my desk for hours after work, staring at a glowing screen, diving into guitar tabs or niche blogs, and the world suddenly felt a whole lot bigger.

Fast-forward to today, and we’re standing on the edge of another seismic shift: AI.

And if you’re Gen X like me, you might be wondering: “Great, another tech hurdle.”

But here’s the thing: just like we leveraged the internet to open doors back then, we can use AI now to unlock even bigger opportunities.

You and I have spent decades mastering valuable, hard-earned skills. We didn’t grow up with tech, we adapted to it. We’ve learned the nuances of connecting authentically, managing teams, and navigating complex career landscapes—face to face, all analog-style.

And guess who’s really good at that?

Here’s how I’m making AI work for me right now on Redefining Retirement.

First, I brain dump my experiences and everything else I know about a topic into a writing app. Then dump it into ChatGPT to cut the content creation time WAY down.

And sometimes, instead of having to always guess what my readers care about, I let AI help me zero in on what Gen Xers are struggling with.

AI sifts through data, feedback, and interactions in seconds, spotlighting topics I know my audience genuinely wants and needs.

Back in 2007 when I first started blogging this research and drafting used to stretch across days. now just a few hours. That means more time for me to focus on the strategy, creativity, and relationship-building parts of the job—the stuff I love most.

It’s this mix of AI-driven speed and my real-world experience and gut instincts that’s helping me grow faster, stay relevant, and provide value to Gen Xers who, like me, are ready to redefine what’s next.

1. Identify Your ‘Superpower’ Skills

Before you dive into AI, get clear on your strengths. Maybe it’s storytelling, managing people, or strategic thinking. Identify what you’re truly great at and what you love doing.

2. Pair Your Skills with AI Tools

If you’re a great writer, AI tools like ChatGPT can help you research and draft content faster. If you’re great at strategy, AI analytics can quickly test your theories or identify market gaps.

Don’t chase shiny tech; instead, pick tools that amplify your existing skills.

3. Leverage Your Insights

The value you bring is interpreting and acting on the insights AI provides. Remember, it’s about combining AI’s speed and efficiency with your experience and intuition.

Copy and paste the following into ChatGPT (or any AI tool you’re using):

"I am a [YOUR AGE] individual with [YOUR EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE ARE and/or PASSION FOR X HOBBY]. I want to start a blog and newsletter business that aligns with my life experiences, passions, and what the world needs while being financially sustainable. Please suggest 5 in-demand topics that:

1. Leverage my unique skills, knowledge, or life experiences.
2. Address intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic values to ensure relevance, fulfillment, and impact.
3. Fall into the monetizable categories of health, wealth, relationships, or hobbies.
4. Meet the principles of Ikigai, ensuring they align with what I love, what I’m good at, what the world needs, and what I can be paid for.
5. Appeal to a defined target audience that I can connect with easily, fostering community and engagement.
6. Allow for scalability into additional revenue streams like courses, books, or consulting.
7. Include a unique angle or differentiation to stand out in the market.
8. Suggest ways to use AI tools for content creation, audience analysis, or automation.
9. Are practical to implement considering my level of technical expertise, time, and budget.
10. Address emerging trends to ensure the topics remain relevant in the next 5–10 years.
11. Have potential for cross-platform expansion into podcasts, video content, or social media."

Additionally, for each topic, include specific monetization strategies and examples of successful blogs or newsletters in that area as inspiration.

Swap out [WHATEVER IS IN THESE BRACKETS] with your info and see what you get.

Now that you have an idea or two of what you can do, here’s how you can start.