What I used to dread now takes a coffee break to complete.

On the AI Snacks Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach to share how I made the shift, what tools I use, and how to avoid “AI Slop.” Search “AI Snacks with Mike Montague” on Spotify.

I used to spend my Mondays drowning in marketing tasks. Outlines, transcripts, blog drafts, podcast prep, social media posts, emails, it was like Groundhog Day with less charm. It took 10 hours to pull it all together, and even then, half of it felt rushed, robotic, or just off-brand.

Then AI showed up, and not in the creepy, “robots are replacing us” kind of way. More like Iron Man’s suit. The tools didn’t take my job. They helped me scale it. And now, what used to take a full day? I can knock it out in an hour without sacrificing quality, voice, or creativity.

I realized that I could leverage my marketing expertise and newfound bandwidth to create an AI-powered marketing agency that would handle the work for nine other companies. Here’s how that happened.

The Marketing Mayhem Workflow Before AI

Marketing strategy has never been the hard part for me… It’s the volume of marketing that kills me. Every piece of content needed to be customized for different channels, formatted for platforms, edited for clarity, and optimized for SEO. And if you wanted it to sound like a human wrote it? That meant writing it yourself, which meant late nights and long weekends.

Even with a small team or outsourced help, you were still responsible for reviewing, editing, coordinating, and managing the entire process.

It wasn’t just time-consuming. It was exhausting.

The Moment Everything Changed

When ChatGPT was released, I had the same reaction as many people did: Whoa. That’s cool.

But when I realized I could create:

• A full blog post outline in seconds
• Summaries of podcast transcripts instantly available
• 10 headline variations at once
• Social captions tailored to LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
• Email follow-ups that actually sounded like me…

…I stopped seeing it as a shiny new toy and started seeing it as a force multiplier.

I didn’t just get my Mondays back. I got my focus back.

The 5-Step AI Workflow That Saves Me 90% of My Time

Here’s how I’ve reengineered my marketing process using a Human-First AI Marketing approach:

1. Record Once, Repurpose Everywhere

Start with a video, webinar, or podcast episode. Use tools like Riverside.fm or Zoom AI Companion to get transcripts and key moments automatically.

2. Summarize and Extract Ideas Using AI

Feed the transcript into a custom GPT trained on my brand voice. It pulls the key takeaways, headlines, CTAs, and quote cards in minutes.

3. Draft Smart, Polish Human

AI writes the first draft og emails, blogs, LinkedIn posts, all of it. I just tweak, reframe, and make sure it sounds like me. (GrammarlyGO helps here, too.)

4. Schedule in Batches

Use tools like HubSpot or Buffer to queue everything up for the week. AI even helps suggest the best posting times and formats.

5. Measure and Iterate

AI tools help me track engagement and suggest improvements. I gain real-time insights without having to dig through dashboards.

What Took 10 Hours Now Takes One

But here’s the thing I really want you to hear:

It’s not about doing more marketing. It’s about doing the right marketing, faster, without losing your voice.

That’s what Human-First AI Marketing is all about. AI isn’t your replacement. It’s your rhythm section. You’re still leading the song.

Takeaways for Small Business Owners and Marketers

If you’re a small team wearing 17 hats, here’s what I’d want you to know:

• Don’t start with tools; start with your voice. Get clear on your message, your target market, and what makes you stand out. Then train AI to work within that.
• Repurpose, don’t reinvent. One strong conversation or piece of content can turn into a month of marketing when AI does the heavy lifting.
• Use AI for what it’s great at structure, scale, and speed. You’re still in charge of trust, tone, and timing.
• You don’t need to be a tech expert. You need to know how to lead with strategy, and let AI take the first pass.

Ready to Work Smarter, Not Sloppier?

If this resonates and you’re thinking, “Okay, I need this level of clarity and efficiency in my business,” we’ve got you.

Start with our: Top 10 AI Tools for Human-First Marketing in 2025

Or book a free call and let’s talk about how to build your AI-powered marketing engine without burning out or burning bridges.