A few weeks ago I wrote about the personal angst I had about people creating custom GPTs that replicate my intellect. Is this flattering and fun, or a creepy theft of intellectual prowess?
I went through a period of introspection and came to a new realization as I was writing my new book How AI Changes Your Customers (… and all of humanity by the way).
There is no way to escape the influence of AI. No way to dismiss it. No way to deny the permanent impact it will have on our lives, our careers, and our families.
So we have a choice. We can live in fear and denial. Or we can reimagine how AI can make us bigger, bolder, stronger, more creative, and more impactful.
I choose impact. So, I did a thing. I created The MarkBot — an Expert Trained Model informed by my public work, like books, blog posts, speeches, classes, strategic frameworks, and more.
I am a teacher, a mentor, a guide. If I had an AI that could truly channel my philosophy, education, and experiences, then I could be a teacher to the world … anywhere, any time I am needed. I would be using AI to reimagine myself as a global marketing teacher and business consultant.
I’ve been working on this for a few months, tested it with more than 100 people and now I’m giving it away for free.
Which might not make any sense. So read on.
The Business Strategy
Why would I give away my knowledge base for free?
This isn’t the first time we’ve had this debate. In the early days of content marketing, your boss probably said: “What??? You want me to give away my content and best ideas for free on a blog?”
Yes.
Because if you didn’t, your competitors would. Their content would be discovered, highlighted, and shared — and you’d lose out.
The same is true with AI.
For better or for worse, information flows freely on the web. Once you publish anything, anywhere, it will find its way to open waters. Everything I’ve ever written is already part of the immortal glue holding AI together. Why not channel it in a way that helps people … in my way?
I wasn’t sure how giving away content in the early days of the web would result in business for me, but it did. No matter how much I gave away, people still wanted to connect to me personally for a speech, a workshop, or a business consultation.
Giving away content fueled my success. I’ve never paid for an ad in my life.
Is the MarkBot just another vessel for my content and ideas? Will this work the same way and bring me business? I don’t know. But I do know is that this is a way to help people with honest advice at scale, and that is a dream come true for any teacher.
And it works!
I’ve been working on MarkBot for several months, and I’ve learned that building a great GPT requires much more than just feeding it content. This thing had to be an extension of me. It had to be something I was proud of.
MarkBot is not just an expression of my intellect. It also reflects my values and personal consulting style.
Dozens of people have tested it, and the results have been startling.
One person said it was like talking to me.
Another person received some advice on her business, which she called “profound.”
A third person tested it against other LLMs and found it to be superior for marketing strategy and brainstorming.
Some of the advice it provides seems beyond anything I could do myself. Which is hard to explain, but I’ll take it!
It’s not perfect, and it will always be a work in progress, but I think you might enjoy trying it out. It’s free and private, so your questions and answers are not stored anywhere.
Beyond marketing consulting
I recently got into a deep discussion on custom GPTs with Dana Malstaff during an episode of The Marketing Companion podcast. She is also developing her own AI to drive her business but in a radically different way.
Her approach is to design AI—chatbots, custom GPTs, and other agents—that set boundaries and parameters. For Dana, it’s critical that these tools reflect her authentic voice and beliefs, and that they’re honest enough to challenge users and not just validate their ideas. This is foundational to building trust and long-term value.
Key highlights from her approach include:
- A “future self” guidance AI bot
- A conversion scanner that assesses websites for conversion opportunities
- An internal bot that streamlines company operations and helps with conflict resolution.
- Certification programs
Integrating AI into key company processes allows her to spend even more time on the human side of the business that drives revenue and loyalty.
Custom AI isn’t about cutting costs or flooding the web with more generic content. It’s about deeper service, smarter boundaries, and building something that truly sets you apart.
I hope you’ll dive into the MarkBot and learn more about Dana’s revolutionary use of AI in the new episode of The Marketing Companion.
You can listen to this special show here:
Click here to enjoy The Marketing Companion Episode 325
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