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Hello Hummingbird: Learning Process through A Passion Project

Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Living The Dream, Vision Quest Media

Nurturing a Known Niche: A Newsletter for Hummingbird Enthusiasts

Inspired by my own experience of feeding hummingbirds at home, I want to start a niche newsletter. An engaging space where likeminded people can celebrate these incredible creatures, learn about their habits and needs. I will hare my personal stories and videos of hand feeding hummingbirds. In essence, this is about creating a product for an existing community where everyone loves hummingbirds as much as I do.

Learning the Process through Passion Project

https://youtu.be/1syA30XVj1c

Diving into this endeavor is not really about feeding my interest in these delightful birds.

I see it as a unique opportunity to navigate the complexities of creating a successful newsletter and YouTube channel. I dream of launching a larger, more ambitious project that will require a significant investment of time and resources. But I want to learn the ropes through this smaller, simpler venture that I am equally passionate about.

Why create a newsletter and YouTube channel about hummingbirds and not one about our hotel photography or our business?

The fascination for these fast-flapping visitors is universal, crossing boundaries of age, location, and interests. It’s hard to resist the allure of these tiny powerhouses with their incredible agility and captivating colors.

Furthermore, with their calm and peaceful presence, they represent the antithesis of controversy. Yep, I want to start in a safe and enjoyable space for everyone involved.

In other words, a “safe space” to learn the ropes of creating newsletters. Hopefully a quick path to monetizing YouTube. If I am honest, the real reason for doing this isn’t about sharing my sweet little hummingbirds.

It’s a trial run for what I want to build concurrently. As I learn from the process of creating evergreen hummingbird content, I will learn the infrastructure, systems and tools I am going to need to create my dream of a Get to No University newsletter and podcast.

The Road to “Get to No”

This journey into the Hello Hummingbird project is also a journey of personal growth and entrepreneurial discovery. Through it, I aim to validate my hypothesis about the market for my ideas, confront potential rejection, and understand if the narratives I weave resonate with a wider audience.

Saying Yes to Small Bird Stuff: Starting small does not mean thinking small.

My virtual mentors have a motto – “No Small Boy Stuff”.

I am not sure how they feel about Small Bird Stuff. But I do know what they think about monetizing YouTube, newsletters and podcasts.

The lessons I learn from establishing the hummingbird channel will inform the logistical and strategic aspects of my broader project, “Get to No” University. Even if Hello Hummingbird turns out to be an entertaining pastime rather than a revenue-generating venture, it is an invaluable learning experience.

So, as I straddle being a virtual groupie of the startup world while creating a monetized hummingbird enthusiast channel, I invite you to join me on this journey. Watch this space for more updates as we navigate the twists and turns together, uncovering the surprises and delights that come with hand-feeding hummingbirds and establishing a new digital venture.

Remember, no matter the journey, no matter the passion, there’s always a story waiting to be told. Let’s embark on this adventure and discover that story together.

Virtual Groupie of the Rich & Famous-Amongst-Nerds

Artificial Intelligence, Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Media

How My Journey Led Me to My First Million and the Voices That Resonate

As you can imagine, our business photographing hotels and residential healthcare was hit hard during the COVID era. We have traveled the country primarily photographing hotels since we got married. So staying home was a new experience.

AND WE LOVED IT!

We remodeled our house after two floods and because we weren’t traveling, we did the work ourselves. Yep, we learned how to do plumbing and drywall and electric. While we got the job done, we learned quickly that we don’t want to work with our hands.


So I did a thing last week.

I reached out about an opportunity that is literally made for me and I got a response. And now my mind is in a whirl…because this “thing” really could work out. But even if it doesn’t, it ignited a passion in me to test my own framework – Get to No University

What would it look like if after half a century of pursuing my dream, I finally have a chance to achieve it?

Pursuit of a New Chapter?

In the pursuit of a new chapter in life, I found myself diving into countless rabbit holes, exploring what I truly wanted beyond our current success as a niche hotel photographer. My husband and I have built a comfortable business that allows us to live our dream, but as circumstances evolved, so did our aspirations.

It’s a challenge to chase a new vision when you’re already living in a dream. When we tell people what we do, they often say “wow that’s a dream come true”. And it is. We have an amazing lifestyle. We are really good at what we do.

But what if there’s something even better out there? What if this is just one step on the journey rather than the final destination? These questions haunted me, pushing me to explore new ideas with the sole goal of getting paid for what I know instead of what I do.

Living in the Moment – Dreaming of the Future

After I turned 50, I came to a realization that time is both abundant and finite. While it may seem paradoxical, understanding that time exists solely in the present moment empowered me to evaluate my current circumstances.

I delved into the concept of mindfulness, grasping the essence of what is and what if, which I call “pragmatic positivity.” This mindset allowed me to learn from the past and dream about the future, but most importantly, it taught me the value of taking action in the present moment.

My journey down the rabbit holes helped me recognize that I have always had one dream. My deepest desire is to write a book called Get to No University: Revolutionize the Status Quo by Asking Why and Saying No.

Taking My Creativity Digital

I am tired of trading my time for money. I am tired of transactional work. I want create something sustainable where I can eventually become irrelevant and my body of work becomes a legacy. I redefined my job description on my social media as a Digital Creator. As a professional photography company, we create digital assets for our clients so we are indeed Digital Creators. But our creation requires us to travel and it requires us to get paid for our time.

The quest for understanding what this entailed led me down various paths—listening to podcasts, reading books, and exploring social media platforms. Among the multitude of voices, two figures stood out as my virtual mentors: Shaan Puri and Sam Parr.

Why Shaan Puri and Sam Parr?

These two hosts of the My First Million podcast resonated with me on a profound level. Rather than try to explain why I chose them as my virtual mentors, I asked ChatGPT to write an article about the 5 top takeaways from their experiences doing what I want to do.

Read the article here – The Titans of Entrepreneurial Wisdom: Sam Parr and Shaan Puri’s Journey to Success

They echoed my thoughts, answered questions in ways I would, and ignited memories that illustrated their points. Their authenticity, relatability, and willingness to share insights and personal stories made them the guiding voices I needed on my journey.

The biggest reason they resonate with me is that these two are focused on lifestyle more than accumulating more commas on a spreadsheet.

My First Million episode 457 “Can you get rich with a blue collar hustle?”

In an episode titled “Can you get rich with a blue collar hustle?” Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discussed various approaches to wealth creation. Sam emphasized that while it’s possible to achieve financial success with a blue-collar hustle, building wealth through digital startups is often easier due to lower capital requirements, location flexibility, and higher earning potential. Shaan, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of choosing a lifestyle aligned with personal values over accolades.

Ready to Stop Renting Out My Time

These conversations resonated with me, surrounded as I am by individuals who rent their time, such as hardworking farmers who by nature of their profession start from scratch every year.

Every year they must choose a crop for the year – soybeans or corn. Then they choose which company’s seeds to plant. And then they do everything they can to prepare and cultivate that field for maximum yield. But in all honesty, their ULTIMATE success or failure is largely based on factors out of their control.

I am reminded that our hotel photography business is no different than the farmers whose fields create the patchwork of our landscape. If we do a good job for our clients, we put ourselves out of business for a few years until they update their property. And on rare days like today when one of us is sick, our income stops coming in the minute we stop going out to take pictures.

Change My Monetization Method – Not My Life

My current conundrum is that I love the lifestyle we live. Our rule is we are not willing to give up the life we have created, simply to make a little more money so we can buy a little nicer jet ski or boat.

Because if you see my life, you’d realize that making an extra million dollars isn’t going to change it. Just upgrade the tools I use to live it.

I don’t want to change my life…I simply want to monetize it differently and be a part of something bigger than myself. Ultimately, I want Get to No University to be my main source of income because I am passionate in my belief that we can teach people empathy by storytelling. But the problem is, I don’t know how to create a newsletter. Or a YouTube following.

I have long known that if I could do anything, it would be create a weekly podcast and newsletter about Get to No University:Revolutionizing the Status Quo by Asking Why and Saying No.

Unveiling the Market’s Response

Shaan’s quote in this podcast episode, “If you fail at the internet, it’s because the market didn’t want what you had to offer,” struck a chord within me. I believe that I have something valuable to share with the world. But right now, the Get to No University Framework only exists in my mind. To determine if the market wants what I have to offer, I must immerse myself in testing and deconstructing my own framework, listen to those who have excelled in my desired field of newsletter/podcasting/writing, and learn from their experiences.

Virtual Groupie of the Rich & Famous-Amongst-Nerds

The My First Million podcast provides a safe space for me to learn because my mentors have no idea that they are mentoring me. I am basically one of many anonymous virtual groupies at this point.

After I make my first million digitally, I want to be on their show but for now, I’ll just walk the fine line between my role as Queen Groupie of the Virtual Groupies while trying not to look like Kathy Bates in Misery.

I know what I want to be when I grow up but I couldn’t explain why until I heard this quote from Shaan –

I think that having a big podcast is actually the best job in the world. And I’m obviously biased here, but I’ve also tried a bunch of things and this is the best.

If you have a big podcast, that means you’re famous, but you’re only famous amongst nerds, which is kind of the not annoying way to be famous. It’s like all the good parts of being famous without the bad. You also get rich, but you didn’t have to chase money.

You get to create content, but you’re not like the annoying 24 seven vlogger who’s got their phone out and ruins like their actual life, trying to create content for some audience.

Shaan Puri, Can You Get Rich with A Blue Collar Hustle? | My First Million Q&A (#457)

The Bottom Line: Create a Business or Curate a Story

My idea is not only to create a successful business but more importantly my goal is to curate a story. So if and when it eventually scales up, I don’t just have a thriving business, but an inspiring tale to tell, right from Day One. And if this rabbit hole is not the right one for me, then the lessons I learn finding that will end up being the real story.

Hopefully even a story that might be captivating enough to tell the audiences of the “My First Million” podcast and inspire someone to go curate their own story.

The Challenge of Pursuing Your Vision When You’re Living Your Dream

Ask Auntie Paige, Drury Approved Photography, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

Your Dream is Just Part of Your Vision

If you had told us that we would one day photograph hotels at Disney, we would have thought that was a dream come true.

And it is.

But what if your dream is simply one part of a bigger vision? The enchanted kingdom is a great place to talk about dreams, wishes and visions.

Let us delve into this topic, using our hotel photo shoot at the Drury Plaza Hotel Disney Springs Resort as an example of a dream realized within the context of a larger vision.

Disneyworld – the Magic Kingdom – is the place where fantasies come true. At least that’s what they tell you. And our photo shoot at the Drury Plaza Hotel – Disney Springs Resort really was the stuff of dreams.

Dreams vs. Wishes vs. Vision

These terms, though often used interchangeably, hold distinct meanings that shape our perspective and aspirations. Society often conditions us to believe that reaching a modicum of success should be “enough”, urging us to be grateful for what we have in comparison to those less fortunate. However, it is essential to question this perspective and explore the difference between wishes, dreams, and visions, while recognizing the challenge of pursuing a vision when you are already living a dream.

The challenge of pursuing a vision when living a dream

Wishes are fleeting desires or aspirations that often emerge from a place of longing or discontent. They represent our yearning for something different or better, but they lack a clear plan or direction. Dreams, on the other hand, are more concrete and tangible but still based on some fantasy of what we wish could be. They possess a sense of passion and possibility, serving as the initial fuel that propels us towards a particular goal or ambition.

Dreams ignite our imagination and motivate us to take action.

Visions, however, transcend dreams by encompassing a comprehensive and holistic perspective. They represent a long-term, overarching framework for the life we envision, incorporating our deepest values, purpose, and aspirations. Visions provide a sense of direction, guiding our choices and actions towards fulfilling our true potential.

Our Vision is based on three simple questions –

  • What Is? By honestly assessing WHAT IS present and true in this moment, we are able to build from a place of authenticity, pragmatism and potential.
  • What If? By not just dreaming but actually exploring what it is we desire, we ignite the passion and motivation to take action.
  • What Now? Combining our honest assessment of our skills, circumstances and desires, we can move closer to our ultimate goals one step at a time.

Hotel Photo Shoot for Drury Plaza Hotel Disney Springs Resort: Living the Dream, Pursuing the Vision

Our experience with two hotel photo shoots at the enchanting Drury Plaza Hotel Disney Springs Resort serves as a testament to the realization of a dream. When we first met, we yearned to travel the country, capturing mesmerizing images through our lenses.

What began as a dream eventually manifested into a fulfilling business, enabling us to witness extraordinary places and create visual content for 1000+ hotels, 2500+ vacation rentals and Air BnB’s, 3,500+ real estate listings and hundreds of businesses.

However, as our journey progressed, we realized that our true passion extended beyond photography. We yearned to stay rooted, building a life that aligned with our evolving vision. It became apparent that living a dream, while fulfilling, did not encompass the entirety of our aspirations. Our desire shifted towards sharing our experiences and wisdom, creating a lasting impact through the power of writing.

The Challenge of Pursuing a Vision Amidst Living a Dream

For as long as I can remember, it has been my dream to write and speak about Get to No University – the framework I created to navigate my way through the world.

The challenge arises when we find ourselves already living a dream life.

It can be difficult to shift gears and pursue a larger vision when we are told to be content with our current achievements. Society often emphasizes gratitude for reaching a certain level of success, making it seemingly counterintuitive to yearn for more. However, it is essential to honor the authentic desires within us, even when they diverge from societal expectations.

Embracing the Journey: Finding Harmony Between Dreams and Visions

While living a dream, we must acknowledge the existence of a broader vision. It is about striking a harmonious balance between appreciating our current accomplishments and daring to dream bigger. It is not ingratitude but a pursuit of growth and purpose. By recognizing that dreams and visions can coexist, we can embrace the evolving nature of our aspirations and adapt our paths accordingly.

The Bottom Line – Nurturing the Unfolding Tapestry of Wishes, Dreams, and Visions

Wishes, dreams, and visions intertwine to create a tapestry of personal growth and fulfillment. While wishes and dreams ignite our passions and prompt action, visions provide the overarching direction that gives our pursuits deeper meaning. As we reflect on our hotel photo shoot at the Drury Plaza Hotel Disney Springs Resort, we recognize the importance of embracing the full spectrum of our aspirations.

Drury Approved Hotel Photography for Drury Plaza Hotel – Disney Springs Resort

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How to Build Your Hotel UGC Portfolio from Scratch: Show, Don’t Tell

Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Hilton Approved Photography, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

As an aspiring hotel content creator, building a portfolio from scratch can be challenging. However, it’s important to take a slow and steady approach, rather than relying on unrealistic expectations set by mood boards.

Table of contents

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

The Perfect Hotel UGC Pitch?

The perfect pitch is one that gets opened and begins a dialogue. One of my coaching clients recently used this process to approach a hotel where she will be staying as a guest. Instead of sending a long outreach email, we edited her initial contact down to a short and sweet message that shared the key details:

  • She’s coming to visit the hotel as a guest.
  • She’s a professional photographer and content creator.
  • She’s going to take photos for her portfolio and would like to offer them to the hotel for licensing or purchase.

By focusing on her status as a guest, she automatically received a warm welcome but they didn’t pick up on her offer for a collaboration…yet.

The hotel didn’t know her or her work yet, so showing them her portfolio, samples or a “mood board” wasn’t the best option to get their attention. She is going to be a guest at the hotel with or without a collaboration. Instead of being disappointed that they didn’t offer a collaboration, she will go to the hotel and create amazing content and then send it to them watermarked with an option to license.

Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations: Sharing Mood Boards vs. Showing Actual Work

A mood board is a visual tool that is commonly used by designers, artists, and content creators to convey the look and feel of a concept or project. It typically consists of a collage of images, color palettes, and textures that represent the intended mood or aesthetic. Mood boards can be helpful for communicating ideas and inspiration, but they can also create unrealistic expectations if the final product doesn’t match the images on the board.

My client is a very talented photographer and can send the hotel a mood board of her actual work that she creates while she’s a guest. This way they get an accurate representation of the type of work that she can create for them.

Showing “What Is?” Vs. Asking “What If?’ Ensures Authenticity

Mood boards tend to set unrealistic expectations for the quality of work the hotel will receive. If your work isn’t equivalent or better than what you show on a mood board, you risk disappointing the hotel and even risking a charge back if what you deliver isn’t up to par. Instead of relying on mood boards, it’s better to show hotels what you can do for them by presenting them with YOUR actual photos.

Yes, we can all search Pinterest and find breathtaking shots of exotic destinations, but what you don’t realize is how long it takes to capture a picture of an actual unicorn.

It’s easier to sell a picture of a unicorn than the idea of one.

It’s much easier to sell something you’ve already created, rather than selling an idea of what you might be able to deliver. She’s already going to be a guest for an event and if she sees a unicorn, she can take a photo of it.

My coaching client is an excellent photographer and a fantastic UGC creator. The content she will create will be fantastic. It’s just a question of whether the hotel is interested in paying to license or use what she creates.

Offering Your Hotel UGC: Using Pixieset or Dropbox to Offer Licensing or Purchase Options

Once she has a collection of photos and videos that she is proud of, she can send the hotel a Pixieset or watermarked Dropbox link of her images. This gives them the opportunity to see your work and license the photos if they don’t want to pay upfront for a sponsored shoot or hotel collaboration. It’s a win-win situation for both parties, as the hotel gets high-quality images to use for their marketing, and you get to add more work to your portfolio.

One caveat – The only way I would consider using a mood board in outreach to a hotel or resort is if you have work that is similar in aesthetic but that isn’t necessarily hospitality-related. For example, if my coaching client has UGC product photography samples that have a similar vibe to the hotel, she could show her sample next to a photo from the hotel’s website or social media.

Moving on from a potential customer – Get to “No” quickly and don’t take it personally

Remember, the goal is to get to “no” in sales as quickly as possible, so you can move on to an actual potential customer. Don’t take it personally if a hotel says no; it’s just not the right fit. Keep in mind that just because they say no now doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in the future. Make sure to follow up and stay in touch.

The slow and steady authentic building process is key. Focus on building relationships with hotels by underpromising and over-delivering. Start small with your ask, even if the only ask is for a direct email to send the photos or content to after the visit. Be sure to watermark your images and make it clear that you’re offering to license rather than just sharing for exposure.

The Bottom Line:

Remember to start small with your ask and watermark your images, and don’t be discouraged if a hotel is not interested in your offer. Keep building your portfolio and stay in touch for future opportunities.

The great thing about this approach is that your worst case scenario is that you create content for your hospitality UGC portfolio and make amazing memories with your friends and family. The best case scenario is that you create licensing-worthy content that the hotel is excited to purchase and utilize and you create a relationship for ongoing collaboration opportunities. This works especially well for businesses in your area where you can create retainer or ongoing collaborations.

By focusing on being their guest first, you have the opportunity to build relationships and showcase your work in a respectful and professional manner.

Why It Matters: Relationships are easier to maintain than to build

We have long established relationship with our clients and they trust us with all of their hotel photography needs. Not because we are the greatest hotel photographers (we aren’t) but because we deliver quality, value, and consistency.

One such company is Crown Hotel and Travel Management in Wilmington, NC. We have photographed 17 hotels for them and continue our partnership as their sole hotel photographer.

Here’s a recent shoot we did for them…

Hilton Approved Hotel Photography for tru by Hilton – Raleigh Garner

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Dreams Change Nightly. Should Visions Change Daily?

Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

Your dreams change every night as you process new information and data. Shouldn’t your vision do the same?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Most people have no idea how to define their DREAM or articulate their VISION – much less create a plan to live the life they deserve. I created a framework called Get to No University to help you do that. I am testing myself to see if I can reverse engineer my framework as I pursue my own vision.

Why It Matters:

I want to be able to articulate my vision in a straightforward and concise way. I’m doing that through a repetitive process – a system that I created designed to help me understand and articulate my vision.

  1. Step One – What Is?
    I listen to my Morning Recalibration meditation on my Breethe app and ask myself a series of questions to determine “What is present in my life at this moment?”
  2. Step 2: What If?
    When the meditation asks, “If you could live the most aligned life in perfect harmony with the blueprint of your soul, what would that look like?” I stop the meditation, set the timer for 10 minutes, and write a stream of consciousness narrative of my dream.
  3. Step 3: What Now?
    When the timer stops, I copy and paste it into Chat GPT and enter the prompt – Write a summary of my vision for today with the three main points or ideas. Based on the summary, I decide on the number one next most important action step.

My Vision for Today – Curated Content Safari

The dream is to establish a successful content creation business that combines curated content safaris in Quincy and Nicaragua, retreats, and a 90-day coaching program, helping participants enhance their pitching and prospecting skills. Participants will have the opportunity to earn commission through sponsorships and user-generated content clients, while enjoying a memorable trip with various excursions and amenities.

  • The business model involves charging a flat fee for the retreat and coaching program, with the potential for participants to earn commission through sponsorships and user-generated content clients.
  • The program aims to establish partnerships with sponsors, tourism boards, and local businesses, creating a vested interest in the success of the retreats and coaching cohorts.
  • A system of accountability and support will be implemented, including daily question submissions, a notification system for quick answers, and rotating cohorts to ensure continuous growth.

Plans vs. Priorities

Based on my vision for yesterday, my next most important first step was to contact a hotel that I know is sourcing UGC creators. I “planned” to find their contact information and send an intro email. But that’s the problem with plans. The best laid plans lead to the biggest disappointments.

I did not complete my Number One Next Most Important Priority yesterday.

Not because I got lazy. Not because I got busy. But because something else popped up that was exponentially more important and more exciting and potentially more profitable in a life changing way. Life changing potential outranked long shot potential.

By setting my Vision for the day, I was able to evaluate whether the potentially game changing email that came in was a distraction or a redirection. I measured based on the VISION and my VALUES, not based on a rigid to do list.

Get to No University: A Framework to Define Your Dream and Pursue Your Vision

destination product photography

Do you have a framework for defining your Dream? Do you know how to clearly and concisely articulate your Vision? I created one and now I am going to test it out. I am going to pursue my vision out loud and be the first student of Get to No University. Let’s see what happens if I take my own advice!

By setting my Vision for the day, I was able to evaluate whether the potentially game changing email that came in was a distraction or a redirection. I measured based on the VISION and my VALUES, not based on a rigid to do list.

Do you have a framework for defining your Dream? Do you know how to clearly and concisely articulate your Vision? I created one and now I am going to test it out. I am going to pursue my vision out loud and be the first student of Get to No University.

Let’s see what happens if I take my own advice!

Mastering Smart Brevity with ChatGPT, the Key to Unlocking My Writing Potential

Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Here’s What I Think – I talk too much.

I know this. If you know me, you know this. If you are married to me, you REALLY know this.

And so my husband bought me the book Smart Brevity as a surprise because he knows I love Mike Allen and he knows I want to be a writer. Gutsy move for a husband to give his wife a book about the Power of Saying More with Less!

Why It Matters: Attention Spans are Short

In today’s fast-paced world, our attention spans have become shorter, and the ability to convey ideas succinctly has become a vital skill. It is an ability I do not currently possess.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman, I’ve faced challenges in writing and speaking concisely, which has hindered my ability to communicate effectively in both my personal and professional life. I frequently feel the need to preface my communications with the words of Blaise Pascal, “I apologize for the length of this letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one”

I am practicing my writing on Medium by posting daily about whatever interests me and then selecting posts to publish on my blog. By using Medium as a platform to practice writing within the framework of “Smart Brevity” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz, I aim to hone my skills and make my ideas more accessible to a broader audience.

The Message: ChatGPT, a powerful AI language model, is my tool of choice to help me organize my thoughts into a consistent format.

By providing a custom prompt, I can effectively structure my writing while maintaining the essence of my message.

I created a prompt using ChatGPT where I can freely write what I want to say in as many words as it takes for me to convey my message. I then ask ChatGPT to organize MY writing and MY words into the format I desire and remove the fluff.

Here are the key aspects of using ChatGPT in this process:

  1. Personal Growth: By practicing the principles of Smart Brevity, I can improve not only my writing skills but also enhance my communication in other areas of life.
  2. Adapting to the Audience: As people increasingly prefer short-form content, mastering brevity enables me to connect with a wider audience and make my ideas more impactful.
  3. ChatGPT as a Writing Companion: The AI model provides valuable assistance in organizing and structuring my thoughts, ultimately helping me achieve my goal of writing more concisely while still maintaining my own voice and message.

My Final Thought: A Quest for Less

Embracing the power of Smart Brevity and utilizing ChatGPT as a writing companion can transform the way I communicate, allowing me to share my insights with the world more effectively.

Join me on this journey by following my progress here and on Medium, and let’s learn the art of saying more with less together.

Dear Nora,

I wanted to write to you today to talk about something that I think might be helpful for us in our daily life – the concept of smart brevity.

As someone who also struggles with processing language, I understand how frustrating it can be when our message gets lost in a sea of words. Sometimes, we feel like we need to use more words to make sure people understand what we’re trying to say, but that can actually have the opposite effect.

Smart brevity is all about saying more with less words. It’s about finding the most concise and impactful way to communicate our message, so that people can understand us better. This is especially important in today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are getting shorter.

One way that I’ve been working on using less words to say more is through a book called “Smart Brevity” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz. They provide a framework for communicating effectively in a concise way, without losing the essence of our message.

But there’s another tool that I’ve been using to help you with this – it’s called ChatGPT. It’s an AI language model that can help me organize my thoughts and communicate more effectively. I created a custom prompt where I ask ChatGPT to decipher the messages you send me. I ask you to tell me your message in as many words as it takes for me to convey your message, and then ask ChatGPT to remove any fluff and restructure your words into a more concise format.

I think this concept of smart brevity could be really helpful for you, especially with your auditory processing disorder. It might take some practice and patience, but I believe that with time and effort, we can learn to communicate our message more effectively and clearly.

Remember, it’s not about how many words we use, it’s about making sure that our message is understood. I hope this helps, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to talk more about this.

With love,

Auntie Paige

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