Confessions of an AI Power User: Unconventional Tricks to Turbocharge Your Workflow

True story: I used to be the kind of person who proudly resisted tech shortcuts, convinced my handwritten to-do lists and 10 tabs open per project were badges of honor. Then a daunting client deadline hit—so I gave in and tried one AI tool. One binge later, my dinosaur habits were extinct. In this post, I'm not listing every tool under the sun. Instead, I'm sharing the weird, circuitous ways AI productivity tools genuinely shifted my workflow (with a few rookie stumbles and stubborn victories along the way). Spoiler: sometimes the workaround is the work of genius.

Rethinking Research: How Google Gemini and Notebook LM Became My Workflow Odd Couple

When it comes to research automation and AI productivity tools, I’ve tried almost everything. But nothing has transformed my workflow quite like the combination of Google Gemini Deep Research and Notebook LM research consolidation. Together, they’ve become my go-to “odd couple” for tackling big projects, prepping presentations, and making sense of massive amounts of information.

Blending Deep Research with Personal Files

It all starts with Google Gemini’s deep research feature. For those unfamiliar, this tool doesn’t just skim the surface—it crawls hundreds of websites based on your prompts and can even integrate your own uploaded files for a more tailored result. The output? A robust, often 20-29 page report packed with insights, sources, and actionable data. I use this for everything from business idea validation to prepping for high-stakes presentations.

Here’s a quick anecdote: while preparing a talk on AI in marketing, Gemini surfaced a niche trend in influencer micro-segmentation that I’d never encountered before. That single insight ended up being a highlight in my presentation and sparked a great discussion. Without Gemini’s deep dive, I would have missed it entirely.

Seamless Export to Google Docs

Once Gemini finishes its research (usually in about 10-20 minutes), I export the report directly to Google Docs. This handoff is seamless—no copying or pasting required. The integration is especially useful when I need to annotate, share, or further edit the report. Plus, Gemini’s $20/month pro plan (which also includes Veo 3, a top-tier text-to-video model) makes this level of research accessible and efficient. As Gemini notes:

"Deep Research sometimes has a preview inside of Gemini. Right now is part of a $20 a month pro plan that they have."

Notebook LM: My Brain’s Spare Drive

Here’s where the magic happens: I pull the exported Google Doc into Notebook LM. Think of Notebook LM as your brain’s spare drive—only more organized. It lets me create a new notebook, add the Gemini report as a source, and instantly connect up to 300 sources per notebook. For serial researchers or anyone prepping for a major presentation, this is a game-changer.

• Centralized research: All my reports, articles, and notes live in one place.
• Briefing doc function: Notebook LM can condense a 29-page report into a 2-page summary, perfect for avoiding information overload.
• Flexible organization: I can tag, search, and cross-reference sources with ease.

Optimizing Knowledge Management

By combining Google Gemini Deep Research with Notebook LM research consolidation, I’ve created a workflow that’s both powerful and practical. Gemini’s ability to crawl vast data sets and integrate my own files means I never miss key trends or insights. Notebook LM’s organizational features let me manage, summarize, and retrieve research faster than ever.

For anyone looking to turbocharge their research process, this odd couple of AI productivity tools is hard to beat.

One-Trick Wonders: Custom GPTs and the Joy of Uncluttering My Mind

If there’s one thing that’s truly transformed my workflow, it’s the rise of Custom GPTs for automation. These hyper-focused AI productivity tools are my secret weapon for slicing through repetitive tasks and freeing up mental space. I started using custom GPTs daily in 2023, and honestly, I haven’t looked back since. “To this day custom GPTs that are very focused to do one task better than every other AI tool out there is one of my favorite go-to tool.”

Turning YouTube Transcripts into Killer Descriptions—No Prompts, No Headaches

Let me give you a real-world example. I built a custom GPT specifically to turn YouTube video transcripts into polished, SEO-friendly descriptions. The process couldn’t be simpler:

• Copy the full transcript from YouTube (I usually toggle off timestamps for a cleaner text).
• Paste it directly into my custom GPT—no prompt engineering, no extra instructions.
• Press enter and instantly get a ready-to-use video description.

This one-trick wonder saves me about 30 minutes every single day. Multiply that by a month, and you’re looking at the equivalent of a mini-vacation just from automating one recurring task. That’s the power of task automation with AI productivity tools.

Hand-Tuning and Team Sharing: More Creative Time, Less Repetition

What makes custom GPTs even more valuable is the ability to fine-tune them as your needs evolve. If my YouTube description generator isn’t quite nailing the tone or missing key points, I just click “Edit GPT,” tweak the instructions, and try again. Sometimes it’s as simple as adding a single sentence to clarify what I want. Over time, this process has taught me more about my own recurring mistakes than any amount of peer feedback.

Custom GPTs aren’t just for solo use, either. With the team plan, I can share my workflow-specific GPTs privately with my team. Everyone gets the same streamlined experience—no need to repeat instructions or train new team members on the process. For broader use, I can make certain GPTs public, letting others benefit from my optimizations.

Why Hyper-Focused Custom GPTs Work

• Single-task mastery: Each custom GPT is designed to do one thing exceptionally well—like generating YouTube descriptions from transcripts—outperforming generic AI tools.
• Zero prompt fatigue: No more typing out the same instructions. Just paste and go.
• Instant iteration: Edit and refine the GPT as you spot new needs or patterns.
• Team-ready: Share your best automations with colleagues for consistent, efficient results.

Custom GPTs streamline recurring tasks and support collaboration through shareable, personalized AIs.

The bottom line: Custom GPTs for automation are the ultimate uncluttering tool. They save time, reduce mental overhead, and let me—and my team—focus on creative, high-impact work.

Seeing Data Differently: Claude Opus 4, Chatbase, and the Hidden Art of Impressing Yourself

If you’ve ever stared at a messy analytics dashboard and wondered how to make sense of it—let alone present it to your team—Claude Opus 4 is about to become your new best friend. I use Claude every single week, especially since the release of the new models. As I often say,

"Inside of Claude especially with the release of the new Claude models this is even way better than before."

Claude Opus 4 Visualization: From Screenshot to Shareable Dashboard

Here’s how it works: I’ll take a random Google Analytics dashboard, snap a screenshot, and upload it directly into Claude Opus 4. No need for spreadsheets or CSV files—just the raw image. I simply prompt Claude: “Create a visual dashboard with this data so I can easily present it to my team.” Even if I don’t specify what I want, Claude analyzes the screenshot, identifies the key metrics, and spins up a clean, interactive dashboard—complete with pie charts, tables, and traffic source breakdowns. The best part? I can share this dashboard with my team via a simple link.

• No data science degree required. Claude does the heavy lifting on visualization.
• Fully customizable. I can ask for tweaks—switch to light mode, move tables, remove bounce rate, or even add a date range. After a few prompts, I have a polished dashboard ready for a presentation or a quick share.
• Personal touch. Once, just for fun, I asked Claude to color-code a pie chart to match my favorite snack’s packaging. It nailed it. Why not impress yourself (and maybe your team) with a little whimsy?

Claude Opus 4 visualization is a game-changer for anyone who needs to turn raw analytics into something people actually want to look at. It bridges the gap between technical insight and approachable, human-centric presentation—making it one of my favorite AI tools for marketing presentations.

Chatbase AI Chatbot Customization: Your Knowledge, Your Voice

On the chatbot front, Chatbase is my go-to for building custom bots. Whether I need a customer support assistant or an internal knowledge base, Chatbase lets me upload all kinds of files—PDFs, Notion docs, even entire websites. I can embed the chatbot on my site or keep it internal for my team.

• Custom instructions. Under the AI tab, I set exactly how I want the bot to behave—down to its tone and personality.
• Model flexibility. I can choose from Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Llama, and more, depending on my needs.
• Integration options. Chatbase supports lead generation, calendar syncing, and deep website embedding. I use it as a knowledge base on one site, and as a customer service assistant on another.

Chatbase AI chatbot customization means your bot can answer questions with your expertise and personality baked in. It’s perfect for customer support, onboarding, or even just making your internal documentation actually useful.

Both Claude Opus 4 and Chatbase help me see data differently—turning raw information into something engaging, interactive, and uniquely mine. That’s the hidden art of impressing yourself (and everyone else who sees your work).

Wild Card Section: Presentations with Personality—AI’s Open Canvas and the Redemption of Boring Slides

If you’ve ever spent hours crafting a presentation only to feel underwhelmed by the final result, you’re not alone. Traditional slide decks often fall flat, especially when you’re trying to engage a team or audience with complex ideas. As someone who presents regularly—especially since diving deep into AI marketing presentations—I’ve always searched for ways to make my content more engaging and memorable. That’s when I discovered Prezi AI, a tool that completely reimagines what presentation creation can look like with AI-driven content formats.

Prezi AI isn’t just another slide deck generator. With a 15-year legacy and over 160 million users, it’s built a reputation for transforming presentations into dynamic, open-canvas experiences. Unlike the typical slide-by-slide format, Prezi AI lets you create non-linear, visually rich stories that flow across a single canvas. This open canvas approach is especially powerful for marketers and educators, where visual storytelling can make or break your message. The best part? You can start with nothing more than a simple text prompt or upload a PDF, and within seconds, Prezi AI generates a full presentation that looks and feels completely different from anything you’ve seen before.

My first experience with Prezi AI was eye-opening. I needed to present research on AI-powered marketing strategies, and instead of slogging through slide templates, I simply typed in my topic—“Using AI to Increase Lead Generation in Marketing”—and uploaded supporting materials. In moments, Prezi AI produced a visually engaging, open-canvas presentation that was not only easy to edit but also inspired new ideas for my talk. In fact, the AI-generated visuals sometimes sparked fresh angles for my narrative, flipping the usual process on its head. Instead of building slides to match my script, I found myself adapting my script to match the creative flow of the presentation. That’s a level of inspiration I hadn’t expected from an AI productivity tool.

Editing with Prezi AI is refreshingly simple. You can jump between frames, tweak text, and swap images with intuitive controls. The AI even assists with formatting and image edits—cropping, background removal, and more—making it easy to personalize your content. When you’re ready, you can present directly from the platform, share with teammates, or export as a PDF or link. Collaboration is seamless, and the end result is always visually compelling and highly shareable.

Visual storytelling is now recognized as a powerful tool in both marketing and education, and AI-driven content formats like Prezi AI amplify this impact. If you want to level up your presentations, break out of the boring template mold, and truly engage your audience, I highly recommend giving Prezi AI a try. As I often say,

“If you want to level up your presentations...you’re really going to enjoy this open canvas visual storytelling format that I’ve never seen anyone else do before.”

TL;DR: If you’re still cobbling together spreadsheets and notes, you’re working too hard—today’s AI tools can reclaim hours of your week, once you learn their quirks (and your own). Grab a few unconventional ideas from my workflow and join the AI-powered productivity club—no gatekeeping, pinky swear.