You probably know I use AI every day in business.

But I wasn’t expecting it to become part of a very personal conversation with a friend…

We were some of the very early adopters of AI in our business – testing tools, building workflows, and helping our students and customers use it to create faster, write better, and streamline everything from launch planning to content repurposing.

We’ve taught AI inside our trainings.

We’ve built custom tools and prompt packs.

And we’ve seen the incredible time and energy it can save when used well.

But recently, I was reminded of something else.

Not strategic. Not slick. Not even business-related.

Because for all the ways we talk about AI as a marketing assistant or productivity booster, it can also serve a much quieter role.

One that’s not about scaling your business – but simply about surviving the hard bits of being human

So what I’m going to share might sound odd.

But if it helps even one person reading this – it’s worth it.

A close friend of mine is currently facing a very difficult health crisis.

I won’t go into details as that’s not mine to share.

But it’s been incredibly hard. For her, and for those of us who love her.

My gorgeous friend is one of those deeply practical, extremely capable women – the kind who’s always looking after others, always fixing things behind the scenes for the people she loves.

Which is why I knew that talking about how she was really feeling would be difficult.

Not because she doesn’t have support.

But because some thoughts are just too heavy, too jumbled, or too hard to say aloud – even to the people closest to you.

So I made a suggestion. One I offered gently, half-expecting her to dismiss it.

I told her to set up a completely separate anonymous email address, create a fresh ChatGPT account (just so it felt like a clean slate, not linked to anything else)… and use it as a place to offload.

Not for business tasks.

Not for productivity prompts.

But for the thoughts that felt too raw, too chaotic, or too exhausting to say aloud.

And do you know what?

It helped.

She told me it gave her exactly what she needed in the middle of the night.

A quiet, non-judgemental space. Somewhere she could say the unsayable and get something back. Something calm. Something useful. Something that didn’t flinch.

Now, let me be very clear:

This is not therapy.

It’s not a substitute for professional mental health support – and it absolutely shouldn’t be treated as one.

In fact, I did hesitate before sending this.

Just the other day, OpenAI shared a post about how they’re continuing to improve ChatGPT’s performance, including areas where responses can still fall short or lack nuance, particularly around sensitive topics. (You can read it here.)

So please don’t rely on it for anything critical or serious – and always seek help from a qualified professional when you need it.

But I’m not suggesting it as a replacement… I just wanted to make you aware of it.

Because used mindfully, it can be useful.

Especially in those 2am moments when you’re spinning with worry or sadness or fear and you need to offload somewhere safe and private, just to take the weight off your chest.

It’s a bit like journaling… except the journal talks back, softly.

So if you’re going through something, – or you know someone who is and you think this might help- here are a few prompt ideas you can use or share:

• “I’m not even sure what I’m feeling right now. Can you help me unpack this?”
• “I just need to vent. Please don’t try to fix it, just respond gently.”
• “Can you ask me a series of questions to help me process this sadness?”
• “Pretend you’re a wise, kind friend. I need to say something I’d never say aloud.”

You don’t need to use perfect grammar. You don’t need to make sense. You don’t even need to know what you’re trying to say.

Just… begin.

Because sometimes the simple act of being heard, even by a machine, can be strangely helpful.

And if this isn’t for you, that’s okay too.

But tuck it away, just in case someone you love needs it one day.

Back to normal service next time.

And if this felt off-topic or a little too personal, I completely understand, and I’m sorry.

But if it helps even one more person feel a little less alone at 2am… then I think it was worth sharing.