Hiya you!

Polished BS is still BS.

If you’re asking ChatGPT to “make it sound better”… you’re already off track.

Look—I love AI. I use it almost every day.

Outlines. Hooks. Headline options.

Sometimes just to organize my thoughts when I’m not sure where to start.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

If your core message is vague, dull, or just plain confusing…

AI will happily multiply that mess into 5 new formats.

Because AI doesn’t fix bad storytelling. It just wraps confusion in prettier words and platitudes.

It sounds right.

Wait. Does it sound right?

Whoa. If you’re not clear on what you’re really trying to say…

Yep, you end up with polished nonsense.

This is where most people get it wrong…

They expect AI to fix the story.

But AI isn’t a storyteller.

It’s a mirror.

It reflects and inflates what you put in.

So if your messaging feels off, stiff, or somehow “not quite there” after using ChatGPT…

It’s probably not the tool. It’s the input. That’s on you.

Storytelling doesn’t start with the words. It starts with the why.

And AI doesn’t know yours.

The 20-60-20 Content Framework for Using AI Without Losing the Plot

If you want AI to help—really help—you need to know what you’re actually trying to say first. You’ve heard of the Pareto principle: It’s the 80/20 rule that states that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes.

Are you picking up what I’m laying down? Be the 20%! (Alright, technically I’m advocating for you to be the 40% - 20% up front, and 20% at the tail end.

Here’s how:

1. Start With the Story (20%)

Before you touch AI, you need to know the story you’re telling.

→ What’s the big idea?

→ What’s the tension?

→ Why should anyone care—right now?

→ What’s your unique take on how how things should be?

This isn’t about headlines or hooks yet. This is the emotional spine of your message. And if you don’t know it, neither will your audience.

✨ This is where having a messaging playbook makes everything easier.

When you’ve already defined your positioning, your audience, your core narrative—it’s way easier to plug that into AI without losing the plot. It keeps the voice consistent and the story aligned, no matter what format it’s going into.

If you don’t have a playbook, just feed your ideas into the AI in your unique unvarnished way.

2. Use AI as the Clarifier, Not the Creator (60%)

Once your message is grounded and clear to YOU, then you bring in AI.

Let it help you:

→ Tighten the structure

→ Test a few variations or styles. For example? Maybe you want it to be analytical. Or contrarian.

→ Identify spots where you’re rambling or losing people

→ Simplify without dumbing down

Don’t ask it to “make this better.”

Ask it to be a sparring partner. “Find gaps in my logic and flow.” “Help me support this with facts.” “Make sure this aligns to my target audience.”

In other words. Have a conversation with your AI.

3. You = Final Filter & Polish (20%)

This part matters most.

Once AI gives you options, don’t just copy and paste.

Read it out loud. Gut check every sentence.

→ Does this sound like you?

→ Is this the story you actually meant to tell?

→ Does it still reflect your POV and personality?

→ Does it feel true—or just generic and “well-written”?

AI can organize your thoughts.

But it can’t own your message. That’s your job.

Do yourself a favor and inject a personal story as an example. Make sure you (and your audience) can see YOU in the final draft.

🎯 Action Step: Pressure-Test What You Already Have

Before you use AI to write another email, blog post, or LinkedIn caption...

Pause. Go back to the source.

Pull up a message you’ve already written—or one you’ve been saying out loud without really locking in.

→ Maybe it’s how you describe what you do on sales calls

→ Maybe it’s the intro of your pitch deck

→ Maybe it’s a half-written doc that kinda says what you mean

Now—get it into shape for feedback.

Write out:

1. The story or context behind what you're trying to say (what inspired it or why you're communicating it)
2. Then, make sure you can clearly answer these questions (in writing):
   1. Who are you trying to reach? (Be specific - skeptical buyers, investors, executives, etc.)
   2. What’s the one core idea I want to communicate?
   3. Why does this matter right now—to the person reading or listening?
   4. What’s the action or shift I want them to take after hearing it?
3. Finally, include the unpolished version of your message—exactly how you'd say it, not how you'd publish it.
4. Then drop everything into ChatGPT using the prompt below. ↴

🤖 Bonus GPT Prompt: Sharpen Your Message Before You Scale It

Once you’ve got your story and rough message written out, use this prompt to make sure it holds up-before you build content around it.

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT (or your tool of choice):

Act like a messaging strategist.

I’m going to give you a rough, unpolished version of something I’m trying to communicate, along with some background context or story.

Your job is to specifically:

• Highlight anything that’s confusing, weak, or too generic
• Suggest one way I could immediately strengthen the clarity or emotional impact
• Recommend how I can better frame my difference so it’s obvious why someone should care

Here’s the background or story behind it:

[Insert context, story, or what inspired this message]

Here’s what I’m trying to say (unpolished version):

[Insert your rough draft here]

🔄 Your Turn

How are you using AI in your own messaging or storytelling? Got a favorite prompt? A weird use case that actually worked?

‍