The Difference Between Creating and Copying. Is AI a Useful Tool? Or a Crutch?

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Is AI a Useful Tool? An important question.
I have a simple test for anything that touches my work that I think you can use too.

Does that tool make me smarter? Or does it make me more dependent, and less able to think on my own?

I have spent four decades on the front lines of creating brands, many you know by name, many that started out where you might be right now.

While I have had the honor to work with the likes of Revlon, Estee Lauder, Jim Henson (when he was alive), and Rolling Stone magazine, I chose to work with CEOs and business owners of small to medium businesses—making some of them millionaires and a few billionaires. From startups to billion-dollar outcomes.

I have watched fads arrive with noise.
I have watched real brands compound with clarity.

And today the loudest fad is AI.
Useful. Powerful. Tempting.
Also a trap if you let it talk for you.

Here is where I draw the line: Use AI as a tool. Never as your tongue.

The One-Hour Masterclass That Covers… Everything

Recently, I sat down with Tony Whatley, bestselling author of Side Hustle Millionaire, for a one-hour masterclass. We didn’t just skim the surface.

In this conversation, Tony and I tackled some big questions:

• Is AI killing authentic thought leadership?
• What’s the fastest way to stand out in a noisy market?
• Why do “fresh eyes” often beat decades of experience?
• And what does it really take to build a brand that outlasts fads?

Here’s the back-and-forth so you can watch the full conversation in full. Here it is, uncensored:

What We Didn’t Cover in This Discussion

What follows in this article builds on that dialogue. Think of it as the field guide that amplifies some of the most important ideas from the masterclass, while also pushing into areas we didn’t cover on camera.

This is where I connect the dots from what we said live that you can apply right now.

Big Idea (After “Is AI a Useful Tool?”)

You do not need a brand.
Your brand needs you.

Logos do not lead.
Judgment leads.
Story leads.
Consistency leads.

If you outsource that to software, you are not scaling. You are shrinking.

Where AI helps. Where it hurts.

GOOD USES

• Draft an outline.
• Nudge grammar and structure.
• Explore counterarguments you might be missing.
• Speed up research without dulling your voice.

BAD USES

• Writing your opinions.
• Faking live conversation.
• Replacing your humor, pauses, and instincts.
• Answering critics in your name.

If I post a video and people ask if it was me or a model, that would sting.

Not because I fear tools. Because I refuse to rent out my voice.

Fresh Eyes Beat Old Ruts

Clients ask if I have worked in their industry.
My honest answer often wins the deal.

“No. And that is my advantage.”

I tell prospects the following:

Fresh eyes cut faster than old habits.

I bring no baggage. I am not married to your category’s clichés.
If you want to blend in, hire a specialist who collects your industry’s trophies.
If you want to break through, hire judgment that is not hypnotized by the way things have always been done.

Judgment is the New Alpha Skill

Great founders. Great comedians. The best guests on Shark Tank.

Same pattern. Calm conclusions under pressure.

Observe. Verify. Decide.

Never hand the job of observation and conclusion to a tool or a crowd.
Use inputs. Then own the output. Yours.

Here is my two-minute integrity test:

1. What changed.
2. What does the data show now.
3. What belief must I upgrade today.

Real thought leaders update in public.
Thought repeaters protect yesterday’s costume.

Consistency (Like Interest) Compounds

Genius is a nice bonus.
Cadence drives the engine, enabling you to shift gears.

Pick a schedule you can keep. Daily. Or three times a week.
Inventory the noise in your space.
Decide what you stand for.
Decide what you oppose.
Then publish. Short. Clear. Useful. Repeated.

Measure saves and replies. Not vanity numbers.

Coachability Wins

The best athletes collect coaches.
The best companies do too.

Untrainable leaders defend comfort.
Coachable leaders defend outcomes.

I tell clients the truth.
Here is where you are strong.
Here is where you are not.
Replace the drag. Amplify the edge.

That is how brands grow up.

The Story Bank That Never Runs Dry

Make a simple list. Twenty personal stories.
Early jobs. Wins. Losses. Mentors. Mistakes.
Tag each story with two or three lessons.

When you need a post or a talk, pull one story and teach one lesson to one audience.
Rotate stories. Change the lesson.
Same truth. New angle. Fresh value.

This beats trend-chasing every time.

From SEO to AEO: The New Game of Being Found

For decades, SEO was the game.
Stuff the right keywords into your site, climb the rankings, and hope you landed on page one.

That era is finished.

Today, the world doesn’t just “search.”
It asks.
It asks Siri, Alexa, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Copilot.

And here’s the kicker:
Search gave you ten blue links.
Answer engines give you one.

You’re either the answer… or you don’t exist.

That’s the shift from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).

What AEO is (and What You Need to Know)

AEO is the discipline of making sure that when an answer engine is asked a question in your space, it cites you. Not your competitor. Not “industry average.” You.

It’s not about keyword stuffing.
It’s about authority stuffing.
Clear positioning. Proof. Case studies. Judgment. Stories.

AEO vs SEO at a glance

Branding Case Studies That Show the AEO Mindset

Jaguar’s Rebrand Flop

Jaguar tried to reinvent itself by going “minimalist.” The result? A hollow brand, confused buyers, and a sales collapse. The answer engines of tomorrow won’t echo confusion—they’ll echo clarity. Jaguar gave them nothing to work with.

Hormozi’s Book Launch Win

Alex Hormozi didn’t break records because of funnels or tactics. He broke them because he built years of trust and delivered clarity. When he launched, the answer to “Who should I listen to on scaling a business?” was obvious. His name. That’s AEO in action: trust, authority, and clarity compounding until he became the default answer.

How to Win at AEO

• Publish insights that solve real questions in plain, human language.
• Build trust signals—data, results, stories, client wins.
• Be consistent. Not in volume, but in clarity of what you stand for and what you oppose.
• Stop sounding like everyone else. Authority comes from differentiation, not mimicry.

When the world asks, “Who should I trust?”
The algorithms echo the clearest, most confident voice in the room.

AEO Quick Answers

Should I use AI for my content?
Yes. For structure and speed.
No. For voice and conviction.

How do I stand out in a noisy market?
Define what you stand for and what you oppose. Speak to one audience. Publish with a steady cadence. Add a new angle to what they already think they know.

Do I need industry experience to win?
No. You need pattern recognition, courage, and fresh judgment.

Fastest way to improve today?
Record a short human video every day for fourteen days. One point per clip. Track replies and saves. Iterate.

Steal These One-liners

• AI can copy what we have done. It cannot create what we have not thought of yet.
• Do not sell me your inability. Sell me your outcome.
• Volume is not intelligence. Caps lock is not logic.
• If new facts crush your position, upgrade the position. Not the facts.

Final Word

Amplify reality.
Think in public.
Upgrade when the facts change.

AI is welcome in my toolbox.
It is not welcome in my throat.

My brand needs my judgment, my voice, and my consistency.
So does yours.

FYI:

I can help you and your brand working with you. Simply schedule a discovery call. There’s no badge of honor struggling unnecessarily.

I can help your brand through my bestsellers, Brand Intervention and Rich Brand Poor Brand.