You know that moment when you open ChatGPT and ask it to give you 10 content ideas, and it spits something back that feels... fine?

Generic? Like it could've come from anyone?

Yeah. That's not magic.

That's the opposite of what you need.

I get why everyone teaches the "give ChatGPT a prompt and it'll do the work" method.

It feels easy. It is easy.

But easy doesn't equal effective, and it definitely doesn't sound like you.

Here's what I wish more founders knew: you've been using AI backwards.

And I'm going to show you a different way.

Why Your AI-Generated Content Sounds Like Everyone Else's

Let me be blunt: when you ask ChatGPT to generate content ideas, it's not creating. It's remixing.

AI is trained on basically all the freely available content on the internet. Every productivity post. Every carousel about confidence. Every "five ways to" listicle ever written. That's the training data.

When you ask it to generate ideas, it's using those patterns to predict the most likely next thing. So it gives you ideas that are statistically average across everything it's learned. Which means they sound like everyone else.

The result? Beige. Predictable. Safe. Boring.

You've probably noticed this in other people's content too—the same structure, the same phrases, sometimes the same words popping up everywhere within a week. That's because everyone's asking the same tool the same question.

But here's the thing: your audience doesn't want another post about five hacks or how to be more creative.

They want your take. Your perspective. Your weird observations. Your voice.

And AI can't give you that if it's generating ideas from scratch, because it doesn't know what happened in your business this week. It doesn't know about that client conversation that sparked something. It doesn't know your life, your opinions, or what you've been thinking about lately.

So we need to flip this on its head.

The Mindset Shift: AI as Interviewer, Not Creator

Instead of asking AI to create content for you, what if you asked it to pull ideas out of you?

That's the interview method.

Here's the concept: you build a custom GPT that interviews you. It asks you questions about your week, your work, your observations, your frustrations. You answer (honestly, not trying to be clever). And then it takes all of that—your actual thoughts, experiences, and opinions—and pulls out content ideas that are uniquely yours.

Because the GPT knows your brand voice, your audience, and how you think, it frames those ideas in a way that actually fits you. The result?

Content ideas that could only come from you.

This is a completely different relationship with the tool.

Most people think: I need something done, I'll ask AI to do it.

The interview method flips that to: I have knowledge and ideas inside of me, and I'm going to use AI to pull them out, organise them, and help me shape them.

That shift alone changes everything.

How I Actually Use the Interview Method

Monday mornings, I'm on my hot girl walk along the beach track out the front. I open up my interview GPT, and it starts asking me questions.

Things like:

What podcasts have you listened to this week?
Any interesting client conversations?
What's something you've observed or noticed recently?
What's frustrating you right now in your industry?
What did you learn this week that surprised you?

I just talk. Voice notes style. Brain dump. I'm not trying to sound polished or clever—I'm just answering honestly.

Then the GPT takes all of that and pulls out three to five content ideas. And because it's built with knowledge of my brand, my voice, and my audience, these ideas are specific to my stories and opinions. Not generic. Not overused. Not beige.

They're mine.

How to Build Your Own Interview GPT (It's Easier Than You Think)

You'll need a ChatGPT Plus account to build a custom GPT. Here's the simple version:

Step 1: Create a New GPT

Go to ChatGPT → GPTs → Explore → Create. Give it a name ("Monday Interview," "Brain Dump Bot," whatever works for you).

Step 2: Write the Instructions

This is the important part. Tell it what it's for. Something like:

"You're my content strategist who interviews me to pull out content ideas. Your job isn't to generate ideas for me—it's to ask me questions about my week, my work, and my observations, then help me see the content angles in what I share. Start with one question at a time. Don't overwhelm me. Ask, listen, then ask the next one."

Step 3: Build Out the Questions

Give it a list of questions to cycle through (you can modify these based on your business):

What podcasts, videos, or content have you consumed this week that sparked something?
Any interesting client conversations or wins?
What's something you've observed or noticed recently (online or IRL)?
What's frustrating you about your industry right now?
What did you learn this week that surprised you?
Is there anything you've been thinking about but haven't talked about publicly yet?

Step 4: Add Your Brand Voice

Describe how you actually talk. For me, it's: conversational, strategic, a bit cheeky, Australian spelling, no corporate jargon, no cringe.

Also include phrases you'd never use (for me: "level up," "boss babe," "manifest").

Describe your audience too. Who are you talking to? What are they struggling with?

Step 5: Hit Create

That's it. You're done.

Step 6 (The Part People Skip): Build the Ritual

Here's where it actually matters. You need to use this thing.

When are you going to do this?

Monday morning walk? Friday afternoon brain dump? Your commute? Pick a time and make it a ritual. 15–30 minutes. That's all you need.

Because the GPT itself isn't the magic. The magic is in the shift—using AI to pull ideas from you instead of asking it to create ideas for you.

That's the move that changes everything.

Beyond Content Ideas: The Real Possibilities

Once you start thinking this way, you'll start seeing opportunities for AI everywhere.

What if you had a GPT that interviewed you after every client call? Pull out patterns, coach you on objections, help you see what's actually working. (I've literally built this.)

What if you had a GPT that acts like a mentor in your pocket? Ask it strategic questions about your business and actually get good thinking back.

What if you built an interactive lead magnet that interviews potential clients and gives them personalised recommendations to your services?

These aren't random AI experiments. These are tools that solve specific problems in your business.

Tools that save you time. Tools that make you money.

But you only find these opportunities when you stop thinking about AI as a task-doer and start thinking about it as a thinking partner.

The Part About Power Users (This Applies to You)

If you're already deep in ChatGPT—using it every day, feeling confident—I want to gently challenge you.

Most power users are still just scratching the surface. They open it, do a thing, close it. They're not thinking about custom tools, about building things that embed AI into how their business runs, about using AI strategically instead of reactively.

The interview method alone? Most people have never thought about AI that way. And that's just one concept.

When you actually understand how to build custom tools, when you get the strategy behind it, when you see what's possible beyond asking questions in a chat window—that's when you'll start seeing real ROI on AI.

That's when things shift.

Your Homework

Go build that interview method GPT. It'll take 15 minutes.

Then actually use it. Create the ritual. Monday morning? Friday afternoon? Your commute? Pick your time.

Brain dump one time. See what comes out.

Because the shift isn't in building the tool. It's in changing how you work with AI.

If you want to go deeper—build multiple tools, understand the principles behind how they work, develop a proper AI strategy for your business—the AI Dream Team Workshop is where that happens. We're running it in February, and we go way beyond the basics. You'll build tools that actually get ROI. Tools that save you time. Tools that elevate your client experience and bring in leads.

AI isn't just a thing you use once. It's embedded in how your business runs.

Start with one interview. Start with one ritual. See what happens.

FAQs

Do I need ChatGPT Plus to build a custom GPT?

Yes, you'll need a ChatGPT Plus subscription to create custom GPTs. However, if you don't have Plus, you can still build something similar using a long prompt in the standard chat (though the context window will limit how much information you can add).

How often should I use the interview method?

I use it Monday mornings, but it depends on what works for you. Some people brain dump weekly, others daily. The key is consistency and making it a ritual so it becomes part of how you work. Even once a week will give you enough material for multiple content ideas.

Will the GPT understand my brand voice if I just describe it?

It'll get a good working version from your description, but it gets much stronger if you upload your actual brand voice guide or give it specific examples of how you talk and what you'd never say. The more specific and detailed, the better the results.

Can I use this method for things other than content ideas?

Absolutely. Once you understand the interview principle, you can build GPTs that coach you on sales calls, help you think through business decisions, analyze client patterns, or extract insights from any area of your business. The method works anywhere you want to pull knowledge from your brain rather than generate generic ideas.

What if my GPT isn't asking good questions?

You can always go back and edit the instructions. Add more specific questions, remove ones that aren't useful, tell it to dig deeper into certain areas. Treat it like a tool you're refining—the first version won't be perfect, and that's okay.