So On Brand, Episode 3
TL;DR
- AI helps me most by getting the to-do list out of my head.
- One episode turns into a blog, an email and social posts without starting from scratch.
- I use AI for repurposing, editing and drafting, and I’m skipping AI images and AI flyers.
- The CORE framework for AI prompts (Context, Output, Role, Example) gives you a repeatable way to ask for exactly what you need.
AI is a big, complicated topic, and I don’t want to be naive about the downsides for our world and the creative community. As a business owner and a parent, though, I’d rather be informed and use my time well. In this episode, I shared how I use AI to buy back time in my actual week, plus the CORE framework for AI prompts I lean on every time. My opinions may change (yours might too), so take what helps and leave the rest.
In this episode
- [00:07] Staying open-minded about AI
- [01:04] ADHD and carrying everything in my head
- [02:40] How AI buys back real time in my week
- [03:26] Turning one episode into more content
- [04:40] Why I’m skipping AI images and flyers
- [06:24] The CORE framework
- [08:06] Deciding where your AI line is
- [09:04] The AI strategy audit and free prompts
- [09:42] Good Company of the Week: Titus Bakery
Carrying everything in my head
If you know me, you may know I have ADHD, and keeping my ducks in a row has been a challenge most of my life.
Most of the time, I knew what needed to happen. I was just carrying all of it in my head at once. Lists and tools like Asana are great, but I still struggled to feel like things were off my plate until I started using AI this way.
I’ve normally got 40 things running through my head, and they aren’t ranked by importance. Whatever’s most interesting in the moment usually wins, so the loudest thing gets done instead of what matters most for my business or my family.
How AI buys back real time in my week
The biggest help from AI has come from how I’ve set it up. I built repeatable systems around it (never my strong suit), so I get to the tasks I’d been putting off and stay focused on what moves my business forward. The time I’m not spending sorting through my own head goes to the creative work I love.
Turning one episode into more content
Take this podcast. Descript (its AI is called Underlord, and you can also use it through Claude) cleans up my audio and hands me a transcript along with the polished episode. The transcript becomes the bones of the blog post, the blog post becomes part of my email, and I pull social content from both.
You can do all of this without AI, too. AI just cuts down the time. The creative part still starts with you, and AI helps that one piece reach more people, more consistently.
Why I’m skipping AI images and flyers
On the visual side, I mostly use AI for repurposing, like resizing things with Canva AI. I’m not creating AI images or the AI flyers you’re seeing everywhere. They don’t scream on brand to me, and they’re so overused right now that I think businesses risk losing customers’ trust. I get it, good design and good photos are expensive.
I’d rather you grab your iPhone and take real photos and videos of your products, services or behind the scenes. Share them on social or pull them into Canva, and use AI to expand on ideas you already have for emails or blogs. Generating images also uses a lot more resources than writing text does, so I save AI for building on what I’ve already created.
The CORE framework for AI prompts
If you’re drowning trying to keep up with all the things (gestures broadly), this part is for you. I use the CORE framework every time I use AI. I learned about it in my agentic AI course at IU (I didn’t invent it myself), and CORE stands for:
- Context: Tell the AI what’s going on, who you are and a little about the problem.
- Output: Ask for exactly what you need, like a caption idea or a spreadsheet organized by date.
- Role: Tell the AI what role to play. Working on social media content? Tell it that it’s a social media expert with years of experience, then try the same prompt with different roles and compare the feedback.
- Example: Show it something you’ve already written so it stops sounding like someone else. Examples can be visual too: “I really like this graphic. Can you help me come up with ideas similar to this?”
Try running the same prompt through ChatGPT and then Claude to compare. The real key is having a system you can refer back to, so you save time and protect your mental space.
Deciding where your AI line is
I think we all need to sit down and decide where the line is with AI. How do you want to use it? How would you prefer not to? Being educated on AI matters to me, and I encourage you to think about what matters to you. (Have an AI topic you’d love to hear on the show? Send me a message on Instagram!)
I’ve been using AI since ChatGPT came out. I remember texting a friend when it launched in November 2022, amazed we’d get to use this. You don’t need years to catch up, though, or some big opinion about AI to get a couple hours of your week back. Start by finding out how it can serve you.
Want help figuring out where AI fits?
If you’d like someone to sit down with you, look at your business and tell you where AI might serve you well, that’s what my new AI strategy audit is for. No need to become a tech person overnight.
Want to try a few things today? My free guide, 5 AI Prompts That Give You Time Back, goes deeper on CORE and gives you five time-saving prompts to use right away.
Good Company of the Week: Titus Bakery
This week’s Good Company feature is Titus Bakery, a third-generation family business. Bill Titus ran the bakery in Lebanon, Indiana, starting in 1980, and the family’s baking roots go back to the 1950s. When Bill was ready to retire in 2012, his daughter Terry didn’t want it sold off to a stranger, so she bought it herself. She renamed it Titus Bakery, added a deli in 2014, and grew it to three locations in Lebanon, Westfield and Reynolds.
My family goes to the Westfield location basically every week, and they made the donuts for our youngest’s gender reveal, with pink icing inside (so cute!). My order is the Pershing donut, basically a cinnamon roll with maple icing. So yummy.
I used to work for a family business, so I have so much respect for keeping a business in the family and actually growing it. It even got me thinking long-term about my own business and my girls. Bravo to them!
Visit: Titus Bakery, 17471 Wheeler Road, Suite 110, Westfield, IN (plus Lebanon and Atlanta) | titusbakery.com
Where to start with the CORE framework for AI prompts
Pick one task you’ve been putting off and write a CORE prompt for it this week. Then spend the time you get back on the things only you can do, like that creative project sitting on the back burner. Want five prompts ready to go? Grab the free guide here. I’d love to hear what you do with the extra time!
Frequently asked questions
What is agentic AI?
Agentic AI describes AI systems that can plan and carry out multi-step tasks, like using apps or tools to finish a job.
Do I need a paid AI account to use the CORE framework?
No. CORE is a way to structure what you type, so it works in the free versions of tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
Where can I read more about buying back time with AI?
Read What Buying Back Time With AI Actually Looks Like on the journal.
What is So On Brand?
So On Brand is a podcast from Kelli White, an Indianapolis-based strategic content partner, about what makes brands and businesses stand out and get noticed. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
Tools and resources mentioned
- Descript (Underlord), Claude, ChatGPT, Canva, Asana
- 5 AI Prompts That Give You Time Back (free CORE guide)
- Titus Bakery
Listen and subscribe
Catch every episode of So On Brand on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Acast, and come say hi on Instagram at @kelliwhitecreative.
Want help turning one piece of content into many? Let’s plan your content.
Kelli White is an Indianapolis-based strategic content partner for women-owned businesses across the northside, including Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville and Zionsville. She creates photo, video and content strategy that helps businesses show up consistently, and So On Brand is her podcast about brands and the businesses behind them.
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