{"id":90724,"date":"2025-07-16T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/?p=90724"},"modified":"2025-07-15T07:26:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T11:26:30","slug":"ai-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AI<\/p>\n

One of the most underrated yet transformative tools in your business arsenal is the simple AI assistant. A custom GPT is so easy to create that even a non-technical person like me can do it. Recently on The Marketing Companion podcast, the brilliant Dana Malstaff (of Boss Mom<\/a> and Nurture to Convert) explained how entrepreneurs \u2014 even those who aren\u2019t coders \u2014 can leverage AI bots to accelerate growth, foster community, and reclaim those precious, creative moments of freedom we\u2019ve all been missing.<\/p>\n

Dana\u2019s journey began out of necessity\u2014a messy year filled with personal challenges that demanded her to be \u201con\u201d for her business even when life was falling apart. Out of that chaos sprang something unique: personal AI bots tailored to her needs.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I learned from Dana\u2019s fearless embrace of AI and why you should seriously consider building your own digital sidekick.<\/p>\n

From Therapy Bots to Future-Self Coaching<\/h2>\n
\"Dana

Dana Malstaff<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Dana first dreamed up what she called a \u201ctherapist bot\u201d (affectionately named Atlantis) because traditional support systems weren\u2019t always available at midnight when she needed them. Her bot became a judgment-free zone, combining the endless patience of AI with personalized prompts and questions designed to nudge her forward, both emotionally and in her business. That little experiment snowballed.<\/p>\n

The next step? A \u201cfuture self\u201d bot. Dana structured it as a kind of time machine. She programmed it to act as the version of herself ten years down the line, having already achieved her goals, dealt with her hang-ups, and built out her business vision. The bot guides her (and now, her community<\/a>) by asking not only what she wanted, but why she hadn\u2019t achieved it yet, what she feared, and who she might need to let go of in the process. This wasn\u2019t just surface-level affirmation; it was deep, sometimes uncomfortable self-inquiry that led to action.<\/p>\n

And it works. Her clients, who used the bot built into ChatGPT, reported significant boosts in productivity, clarity, and decisiveness. Bots didn\u2019t replace thinking \u2014 they supercharged it.<\/p>\n

AI Assistant for Systems, Scale, and Speed<\/h2>\n

Dana\u2019s not stopping at mental health or personal empowerment. She\u2019s bringing bot-powered systems right into the core of business strategy and marketing implementation.<\/p>\n

She is creating a truly AI-first business with an AI bot strategy built into the core of her business model.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about skipping the work, it\u2019s about skipping the friction. Dana\u2019s mantra: \u201cThe clarity is in the doing.\u201d Bots help you get into \u201cdoing\u201d mode faster, making it possible to implement, iterate, and improve at lightning speed.<\/p>\n

You Don\u2019t Have to Code\u2014You Just Have to Ask<\/h2>\n

Maybe the most empowering nugget of the whole conversation: Neither of us are coders, and that\u2019s irrelevant. The \u201ccoding language\u201d of today is simply good communication. If you can type thoughtful prompts and questions in English, ChatGPT (and similar platforms) will do the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n

Dana\u2019s advice for entrepreneurs and marketers: Just try it. Start a conversation with ChatGPT about your goals, your hang-ups, your tasks. Let it guide you with more questions, and keep refining as you learn. The bot isn\u2019t perfect, but it evolves with you. And as your needs become more sophisticated, so will your prompts\u2014and your results.<\/p>\n

AI Leaves Room for Creativity<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s an elephant in the room with all this talk about clones, bots, and AI-first strategies: Am I putting myself out of a job?<\/p>\n

Dana\u2019s answer is clear-eyed and optimistic: Absolutely not. Bots make the real you more valuable. They enable you to be \u201cpresent\u201d for your audience 24\/7, democratize access to your expertise, and free you up to do what only you can do: reflect, innovate, mentor, and create real change.<\/p>\n

In fact, as bots take over the repetitive or easily systematized aspects of life and business, what remains is space\u2014potentially, for the first time in years\u2014for boredom. And out of boredom comes creativity, innovation, and those big, bold ideas that actually move you and your business forward.<\/p>\n

AI, in this manifestation, doesn\u2019t replace humans; it supports us so we can dig deeper, go further, and do work that really matters.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next? Cloning, Community, and Creativity<\/h2>\n

Where is this all heading? Dana has her sights set on cloning herself via AI for both Boss Mom (providing life and business advice) and Nurture to Convert (offering strategic marketing coaching). It\u2019s not about making herself obsolete; it\u2019s about expanding her reach and serving her community, even those who can\u2019t afford private coaching.<\/p>\n

And, crucially, as our routine tasks get handled quicker and with more precision, we finally earn back the gift of time\u2014time to think, to be creative, to dream up what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n

Marketing, business, and personal growth hinge on helping people get what they want faster, with less friction. Dana\u2019s fearless steps into AI-driven coaching and business systems offer a roadmap for any entrepreneur ready to embrace this new world.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s my challenge: Don\u2019t just read about bots \u2014 build one. Start small. Play with prompts. Get curious. Let AI shoulder some of your cognitive load and see what opens up for you.<\/p>\n

A great place to start is by listening to this inspiring discussion with Dana!<\/p>\n

To listen in, just click here:<\/p>\n

Click here to enjoy The Marketing Companion Episode 319<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Gen<\/p>\n

Please support our sponsor, who brings you this fantastic episode.<\/p>\n

Bravo for Brevo!<\/h2>\n

\"BrevoThis episode is brought to you by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). Brevo gives you the tools to attract, engage, and nurture customer relationships.<\/p>\n

Now, any business can build automated customer experiences, email marketing workflows, and landing pages that guide your customers to your main message. We are here to support businesses successfully navigating their digital presence to strengthen their customer relationships.<\/p>\n

Go to\u00a0https:\/\/www.brevo.com\/marketingcompanion<\/a>\u00a0to sign up for Brevo for free and use the code COMPANION to save 50% on your first three months of Brevo\u2019s Starter & Business plan!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":90729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2031,12,4,64,2239,3030,77,26,76,57,30,83,1929,1116],"tags":[2032,2420,350,1181,1212],"class_list":["post-90724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence","category-business-strategy","category-careers","category-case-studies","category-consulting-best-practices","category-customer-experience","category-entrepreneurial-ideas","category-innovation","category-leadership","category-marketing-best-practices","category-marketing-strategy","category-podcasts","category-productivity","category-the-marketing-companion","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-dana-malstaff","tag-mark-schaefer","tag-marketing-companion","tag-podcast"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBuilding a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mark.schaefer3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1435\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Schaefer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@markwschaefer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@markwschaefer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark Schaefer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark Schaefer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/bd5b139cb8e2663f2470c39139f38cf3\"},\"headline\":\"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\"},\"wordCount\":1026,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png\",\"keywords\":[\"artificial intelligence\",\"dana malstaff\",\"mark schaefer\",\"marketing companion\",\"podcast\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Artificial Intelligence\",\"business strategy\",\"careers\",\"Case studies\",\"Consulting best practices\",\"customer experience\",\"Entrepreneurial ideas\",\"innovation\",\"Leadership\",\"Marketing best practices\",\"Marketing Strategy\",\"Podcasts\",\"productivity\",\"The Marketing Companion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\",\"name\":\"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1435,\"caption\":\"simple AI bots\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/\",\"name\":\"Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}\",\"description\":\"Rise Above the Noise.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16\",\"name\":\"Mark Schaefer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png\",\"width\":776,\"height\":118,\"caption\":\"Mark Schaefer\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png\"},\"description\":\"Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized blogger, speaker, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow} \u2013 one of the top marketing blogs of the world. He teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University and has written four best-selling books including \\\"The Tao of Twitter\\\" (the best-selling book on Twitter in the world) and \\\"Return On Influence,\\\" which was named one of the top business titles of the year by the American Library Association. His latest book is called \\\"Social Media Explained: Untangling the World\u2019s Most Misunderstood Business Trend\\\"\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/markwschaefer.wpengine.com\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mark.schaefer3\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markwschaefer\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markwschaefer\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/markwschaefer\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/markwschaefer\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MWSchaefer\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/bd5b139cb8e2663f2470c39139f38cf3\",\"name\":\"Mark Schaefer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r\",\"caption\":\"Mark Schaefer\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/markwschaefer.wpengine.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/markwschaefer\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/author\/mark\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}","description":"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}","og_description":"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant","og_url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/","og_site_name":"Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mark.schaefer3","article_published_time":"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1435,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Mark Schaefer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@markwschaefer","twitter_site":"@markwschaefer","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mark Schaefer","Estimated reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/"},"author":{"name":"Mark Schaefer","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/bd5b139cb8e2663f2470c39139f38cf3"},"headline":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now","datePublished":"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/"},"wordCount":1026,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","keywords":["artificial intelligence","dana malstaff","mark schaefer","marketing companion","podcast"],"articleSection":["Artificial Intelligence","business strategy","careers","Case studies","Consulting best practices","customer experience","Entrepreneurial ideas","innovation","Leadership","Marketing best practices","Marketing Strategy","Podcasts","productivity","The Marketing Companion"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/","url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/","name":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now - Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","datePublished":"2025-07-16T12:00:51+00:00","description":"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how a simple AI assistant can serve customers, build a business, act as a growth coach, and even help you keep your sanity. AI assistant","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","width":2560,"height":1435,"caption":"simple AI bots"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/07\/16\/ai-assistant\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Building a simple AI assistant can transform your business now"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/","name":"Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}","description":"Rise Above the Noise.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b5f6de15720b8add2adc203fdd5bd16","name":"Mark Schaefer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png","width":776,"height":118,"caption":"Mark Schaefer"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mark-schaefer-logo.png"},"description":"Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized blogger, speaker, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow} \u2013 one of the top marketing blogs of the world. He teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University and has written four best-selling books including \"The Tao of Twitter\" (the best-selling book on Twitter in the world) and \"Return On Influence,\" which was named one of the top business titles of the year by the American Library Association. His latest book is called \"Social Media Explained: Untangling the World\u2019s Most Misunderstood Business Trend\"","sameAs":["http:\/\/markwschaefer.wpengine.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mark.schaefer3","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markwschaefer\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markwschaefer","https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/markwschaefer\/","https:\/\/x.com\/markwschaefer","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MWSchaefer"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/#\/schema\/person\/bd5b139cb8e2663f2470c39139f38cf3","name":"Mark Schaefer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d23c7e0433f0c08dddf3e6fdb7b069f096b34c919520f8a44eb6a5b1aebda455?s=96&r=r","caption":"Mark Schaefer"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/markwschaefer.wpengine.com","https:\/\/x.com\/markwschaefer"],"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/author\/mark\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/u4777537911_3D_of_futuristic_game_character_selection_screen_fe_82fcc4ed-9a41-4dcf-9317-0b96713eb2de-scaled.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7DMUa-nBi","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":89726,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/01\/29\/infuse-humanity\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":0},"title":"How to infuse humanity into an AI World","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"January 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss non-obvious ways to infuse humanity into our work with AI, communities, and content.","rel":"","context":"In "Artificial Intelligence"","block_context":{"text":"Artificial Intelligence","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/artificial-intelligence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"infuse humanity","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/infuse-humanity.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/infuse-humanity.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/infuse-humanity.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/infuse-humanity.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47570,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2019\/04\/04\/how-to-monetize-a-facebook-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":1},"title":"How to monetize a Facebook Group","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"April 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the 150th episode of The Marketing Companion, we learn how to monetize a Facebook Group with BossMom Dana Malstaff and Mark goes on a rant!","rel":"","context":"In "business strategy"","block_context":{"text":"business strategy","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/business-strategy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screenshot-2019-03-30-08.10.53.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screenshot-2019-03-30-08.10.53.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screenshot-2019-03-30-08.10.53.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screenshot-2019-03-30-08.10.53.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screenshot-2019-03-30-08.10.53.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56979,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2022\/06\/02\/dana-malstaff\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":2},"title":"An important insight on leadership from Dana Malstaff","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"June 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Entrepreneurial visionary Dana Malstaff delivers a leadership truth bomb.","rel":"","context":"In "Community-building"","block_context":{"text":"Community-building","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/community-building\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-23-at-11.28.08-AM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-23-at-11.28.08-AM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-23-at-11.28.08-AM.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-23-at-11.28.08-AM.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62615,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2024\/10\/23\/why-it-was-time-to-burn-this-brand-community-to-the-ground\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":3},"title":"Why it was time to burn this brand community to the ground","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"October 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Brand community is a foundational idea for the future of marketing so that's why we need to learn why it was a good idea to burn one down!","rel":"","context":"In "Community-building"","block_context":{"text":"Community-building","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/community-building\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"brand community","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/artworkai_stock_market_crash_money_burning_chaos_-stylize_750__5baeab79-2bbd-4b5e-97ce-9d34d476cd07.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/artworkai_stock_market_crash_money_burning_chaos_-stylize_750__5baeab79-2bbd-4b5e-97ce-9d34d476cd07.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/artworkai_stock_market_crash_money_burning_chaos_-stylize_750__5baeab79-2bbd-4b5e-97ce-9d34d476cd07.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/artworkai_stock_market_crash_money_burning_chaos_-stylize_750__5baeab79-2bbd-4b5e-97ce-9d34d476cd07.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90323,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/04\/21\/meaning-in-suffering\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":4},"title":"Finding Meaning in Suffering: Business Leadership When Your World Is Falling Apart","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"April 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"To be human is to suffer. But how do we deal with crippling sadness and keep our businesses going at the same time? In this extraordinary podcast episode, Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff explore the meaning in suffering, and how they persisted in a business environment when the world seemed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "careers"","block_context":{"text":"careers","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/careers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"meaning in suffering","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Van_Gogh_-_Trauernder_alter_Mann.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Van_Gogh_-_Trauernder_alter_Mann.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Van_Gogh_-_Trauernder_alter_Mann.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59994,"url":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2023\/09\/18\/start-a-movement\/","url_meta":{"origin":90724,"position":5},"title":"Is it easier to build a business or start a movement?","author":"Mark Schaefer","date":"September 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you considered the possible link between the start of a movement and the start of a business? A new look at how people can belong to your brand and sustain a business.","rel":"","context":"In "Community-building"","block_context":{"text":"Community-building","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/category\/community-building\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"building a movement","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-6.19.53-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-6.19.53-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-6.19.53-PM.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-6.19.53-PM.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-6.19.53-PM.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90724"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90776,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90724\/revisions\/90776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}