Lauren Gibson is a ghostwriter and email marketer helping agency owners and coaches grow their businesses through content. She’s the founder of the “Connections” newsletter and writes daily on LinkedIn about business, brand building, and the future of work.But she didn’t start in marketing. From navigating Egyptian taxis without GPS to landing meetings with Ethereum’s co-founder, Lauren’s path has been anything but linear. In this episode, she shares how writing in journals, essays, and LinkedIn posts helped her transition from Web3 startup chaos to a thriving solo business.Lauren opens up about losing her job, journaling through uncertainty, and the power of experimenting until something sticks. She breaks down how she used content to attract clients, build authority, and monetize her writing skills. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your career or unsure how to sell what you know, this one’s a must-listen.Key Takeaways
Timestamps00:00 Lauren’s wild path: from nomad life to email marketing02:53 How writing got her into Georgetown’s MBA06:14 From teaching English to Web3 and Joe Lubin09:03 The power of networking and warm intros12:02 Why Web3 ideals matter more than the tech14:51 Depression, reflection, and finding her voice18:01 The first step: writing daily and announcing a business20:55 Building a newsletter and community from scratch23:57 How The Artist’s Way helped her show up daily26:55 Leveraging LinkedIn to test and grow ideas29:54 Losing a job, moving home, and finding stability42:11 Writing opened up new roles, even big four intros44:25 Why Lauren avoids over-relying on AI46:24 From pro bono clients to a paid, growing business50:40 Who she works with now and what she offers53:26 Legal risks of AI-generated writing1:00:41 You own the IP — your story, your face, your wordsResourcesAdditional ResourcesStart writing online today with my Free AI Writing Roadmap course: https://aiwritingroadmap.com/ Connect with Jack on LinkedIn: / jackwrites Like and Subscribe to the It Pays to Write Podcast on your favorite platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tiiZAc... YouTube: / @itpays2write Substack: https://itpaystowrite.substack.com/s/... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Dylan Davis shares his incredible YouTube lead generation journey, growing to 14,000 subscribers in just seven months and getting 2 to 6 leads/wk sharing AI automation tips and processes. He provides valuable YouTube and AI use tips and tactics and discusses how to turn your YouTube channel into a lead generation machine. Learn how to boost YouTube video content creation to generate qualified leads for your business.
Chapters
00:00 How Dylan books AI consulting work and who actually pays03:02 How to learn AI tools fast by building real things05:54 Who he serves and how he removes the biggest blockers08:47 How to copy proven automations for your team today11:50 The perfect AI tool stack: Playwright, Gemini, ChatGPT, and when to use each14:54 How to write faster with AI using prompts, structure, and the right model17:53 How Dylan coaches models to write crisp, on brand drafts21:01 How to spot AI writing and fix the tells before you publish23:47 Why your content changes next as models level up30:50 How to protect your role as busywork disappears36:27 Your 90 day plan to get ahead of AI disruption41:13 Why you still matter when machines handle the tasks44:53 How Dylan left a 20 person AI team to launch solo52:37 How to go from unknown to in demand with YouTube01:01:51 How to get your podcast found when most stay invisible01:03:02 How Dylan’s title first system ends the struggle bus phase01:04:39 Why he makes only long videos and why buyers love YouTube01:08:44 How Dylan built a repeatable plan that pulls 1 to 6 leads a week01:11:52 How to use a mid roll freebie, a simple landing page, and a VSL to convert01:19:55 The day one playbook Dylan wishes he had
Like and Subscribe to the It Pays to Write Podcast
YouTube▶ https://www.youtube.com/@itpays2write
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Substack▶ https://itpaystowrite.substack.com/s/it-pays-to-write
Apple▶ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-pays-to-write/id1823979904
Grab my free AI Writing Roadmap coursehttps://aiwritingroadmap.com/
Connect with Jack on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jackwrites/
How to Use ChatGPT: Guide for BeginnersEpisode Summary
Dan Sanchez, AI educator and host of AI-Driven Marketer* joins Jack to share a real-world beginner’s guide on how to use ChatGPT the right way.Forget fancy prompts and endless tool lists. Dan walks you through the actual skills that separate casual users from smart operators. You’ll learn how ChatGPT’s memory really works, why context matters more than prompts, and how to build systems that make ChatGPT 10x more useful. Dan also breaks down how to train custom GPTs, use ChatGPT agents, and coach the model for better writing, research, and marketing tasks. He shares beginner-friendly examples that any marketer, freelancer, or creator can apply immediately. Whether you're brand new to ChatGPT or trying to get more out of it, this episode gives you a clear path forward. If you're tired of surface-level tips and want practical, repeatable ways to use ChatGPT better, this one’s for you.
Timestamps
00:00 Why AI Marketing Is Exploding Right Now
04:20 The Tools Aren’t the Answer — This Is
07:17 AI Memory Explained: Why Most People Miss This10:17 Context Engineering: The Skill That Separates Pros
13:25 AI in Action: Real Marketing Use Cases That Work16:15 Fail Fast: Why Marketers Should Experiment with AI
19:18 Can AI Kill Critical Thinking? Here’s the Truth
22:13 Why Failing with AI Is the Fastest Way to Learn
25:21 Coaching AI: How to Get Better Results Every Time
28:09 Testing Limits: Using AI for Big, Risky Tasks
36:44 Want Personalization? Start with Better Processes
38:05 Stop Guessing: Map Your Work to AI, Step-by-Step
39:23 What to Automate vs. What to Delegate with AI
42:10 Content Creation at Scale: What AI Can Actually Do
43:35 Messy Process? AI Won’t Help Until You Fix This46:21 SOPs and Custom GPTs: Build Once, Use Forever
52:24 Why Documenting Your Work is Now a Superpower
58:24 How Writing and Process Thinking Boost AI Use
01:01:27 The “Helpful Neighbor” Mindset for Smarter AI Use
01:03:29 Advanced Tactics: Coaching, Prompting, and Projects
01:07:33 Outro
Resources
Want to Start Writing online and using ChatGPT?
Start with my Free AI Writing Roadmap course:
Connect with Jack on LinkedIn
How to Grow Your Followers on LinkedIn: 23K followers in 14 monthsDustin is VP of International Sales by day—and a fast-growing social media strategist by night. In just 14 months, he's built a LinkedIn audience of over 23,000 followers using a repeatable system that blends evergreen content, smart engagement tactics, and AI-powered comment strategies.In this episode, Dustin unpacks his entire content engine. From growing company pages to building a 180-post content bank, he shares exactly how he formats carousels, splits daily posts into two styles, and uses groups and newsletters for reach. He also explains how AI helps him engage with hundreds of comments while keeping his authentic voice. If you're trying to grow on LinkedIn or turn your audience into income, this episode shows you how to get seen, and what to post once you are.Key Takeaways-Dustin grew from 0 to 23.5K+ followers in 14 months-LinkedIn groups boost visibility and post reach (massively)-AI can help write comment replies that sound like you-Reposting high-performing content monthly is smart, not lazy-Carousels with numbered lists and simple CTAs drive massive impressions and engagement on LinkedIn-Company pages offer 250+ invites per month (*use them)-Newsletter growth leads to long-term audience control-He uses two posts daily to his profile: 1 helpful carousel, 1 short quote or truth-Authenticity still wins, even with AI-generated help-Time-saving tools make it easier to show up every dayTimestamps00:00 How Dustin grew 23K followers in just over a year06:39 Dustin’s LinkedIn-first strategy—and why X didn’t work13:42 Building a brand using carousels, checklists, and company pages23:18 Posting in groups: a secret weapon for massive visibility33:09 Which scheduling tools Dustin uses (and which to avoid)39:26 How Dustin trained AI to reply to 100+ comments a day50:54 Evergreen content, repeat posting, and CTA tricks that work01:01:48 How he built a 3-month post bank (and recycles it)01:07:50 Monetization plans, newsletter growth, and CRM tips01:14:05 Dustin’s advice for new writers starting on LinkedIn01:22:12 Balancing growth, audience, and authenticity with AIResourceshttps://buffer.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/Just for viewers and listeners of the It Pays to Write PodcastStart writing online today with my Free AI Writing Roadmap course:
https://aiwritingroadmap.com/Connect with Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/writeschrute/Like and Subscribe to the It Pays to Write Podcast on your favorite platforms:YouTube: / @itpays2write Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tiiZAc...Substack: https://itpaystowrite.substack.com/s/...Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Vanessa Yepes, a product operations lead at AppSumo with eight years of experience in customer and partner success, transformed her totally unused LinkedIn account into a powerhouse of engagement, authenticity, growth, and connection with other cool people.
She doubled her audience in just 60 days of writing on LinkedIn, by doing back-to-back 30 day writing challenges.
In this episode, Vanessa talks about how an internal 30-day writing challenge at her company got her bit by the writing and posting bug.
And how she’s used multiple, back-to-back writing challenges to:
She shares the nuts and bolts of competing on metrics using Shield Analytics, the evolution of her “text-message-style” writing, and how she’s integrated AI—like voice notes, ChatGPT projects, and AI note-takers like Fathom—to streamline brainstorming, drafting, and meeting notes in her day job and her writing.
Whether you’re a nine-to-fiver or a freelancer, this conversation is packed with writing skills, habits, tools, and software you can use to start writing online today (and make it a lot easier with AI).
Timestamps
00:00:00 - How Vanessa went from support agent, to head of operations, to obsessed with writing on LinkedIn
02:45:00 - How she crushed her company 30-day LinkedIn writing competition
06:02:00 - How she’s finding and developing her signature style (and helping you find yours)
08:55:00 - How she uses AI to brainstorm so you never face a blank page
11:46:00 - Why authenticity wins for everyone
14:56:00 - How she’s building community through storytelling
17:57:00 - Her next big goals to inspire yours
37:31:00 - Organizing her thoughts into content gold
38:52:00 - The AI co-writer she trusts
40:54:00 - How to crush drafts with tight feedback loops
43:23:00 - How she uses writing for self-discovery
45:08:00 - He techniques for mining and creating endless posts
51:13:00 - Managing projects with AI efficiency
54:09:00 - How she puts meeting notes on autopilot with AI
56:06:00 - Recognizing real professional value
01:00:48 - How she taps into LinkedIn’s community power
01:10:09 - Her evolving engagement tactics and how they work
01:15:08 - How she’s embracing a true LinkedIn voice
01:17:16 - Why you need strength in support networks on social media
01:20:37 - Why starting small in comments builds confidence for posting
01:22:59 - How to cultivate LinkedIn post ideas with daily reps
01:24:48 - How you can turn everyday moments into stories
01:28:21 - The neuroscience behind compelling storytelling
01:32:18 - How to build friendships through writing challenges
01:38:29 - How experimentation can fuel growth
01:43:51 - How she sets intentional writing goals
01:46:20 - Her top advice for your writing journey
Like and Subscribe to the It Pays to Write Podcast on your favorite platforms:
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/5tiiZAcG630B8xAqd2wvgi?si=3d5137ef8ead4cdf
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@itpays2write
Substack
https://itpaystowrite.substack.com/s/it-pays-to-write
Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-pays-to-write/id1823979904
Start writing online today with my Free AI Writing Roadmap course:
https://aiwritingroadmap.com/**
Connect with Jack on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/writeschrute/
ResourcesFollow and Subscribe to the It Pays to Write Podcast
What does it really take to grow from 1K to 7K+ LinkedIn followers in six months, without turning into another “broetry” meme?
Implementation-manager-by-day and content strategist-by-night Simon Schmitz breaks down the tactics behind his meteoric rise.
Simon explains why carousels still beat every other format on reach, why text-only posts often out-perform image posts, and how LinkedIn’s shifting algorithm is rewarding niche expertise over generic marketing garbage posts.
He shares a realistic workflow (two carousels + one text post per week), complete with tools like Canva, Whisper Flow voice dictation, and ChatGPT to draft hooks fast.
Most importantly, he urges new writers to “embrace the suck,” post on a sustainable schedule, and inject real personality instead of AI-generated fluff. If you’ve been scared to show up and post on LinkedIn—or you’re stuck with low reach and engagement—Simon’s playbook and refreshingly direct take will get you publishing (and enjoying it).
Why You’ll Love This Episode
→ How to set a three-day posting cadence you can actually stick with.
→ The “hook + re-hook” formula that keeps readers tapping Read More.
→ Voice-to-text workflow that turns a ramble into a polished post in 20 min.
→ When to use carousels vs. text vs. video (and why selfies still matter).
→ A starter list of 7 LinkedIn writers worth studying—plus the tools they use.
→ Real talk on AI: leverage without losing your own critical-thinking muscles.
Simon’s Links
→ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-schmitz-tx/
→ Stan Store – https://stan.store/AperolSchmitz
→ Personal Branding Carousels (featured) – see his LinkedIn “Featured” tab
→ Email – DM via LinkedIn for branding inquiries
Software & Tools Mentioned
Follow Simon
→ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-schmitz-tx/
→ Stan Store – https://stan.store/AperolSchmitz
→ Personal Branding Carousels (featured) – see his LinkedIn “Featured” tab
→ Email – DM via LinkedIn for branding inquiries
It Pays to Write
→ Grab your FREE 5-Day AI Writing Roadmap: https://aiwritingroadmap.com
→ Connect with Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/your-profile
Jennifer Chou went from blowing up her companies TikTok account, to
→ Growing her own audience to 80K+ people (now it’s well over 100K)
→ Getting laid off from that job
→ Replacing her $6k/month salary with a 24 hour sale of her first course
Jennifer, better known online as Vegan Tech Nomad, turns unhinged data dashboards, her content marketing strategy, poop-tracking, marathon training, and more into viral content gold.
In this candid chat she walks Jack through the exact steps that grew her Instagram to 80K+, replaced a month’s salary in a single launch day, and helped thousands of ADHD creators reclaim their time with life-tracking.
If you want a repeatable framework to post consistently, ditch burnout, and monetize fast, start here.
Why you'll love this episode:
Her Resources & Mentions
Free 5-Day Course on How to Write with AI:
Follow Jack and It Pays to Write on LinkedIn:
How to Self Publish Your First Book with Derek Siddoway
Derek Siddoway has self-published 18 fantasy novels in the past 12 years.
And he's already working on the next one.
In this conversation, Jack and Derek unpack how Derek turned a passion for writing fiction into income.
We explore his journey of writing, particularly in the fantasy genre, making money as a fantasy novel writer, writing tips for new and seasoned writers, his current transition from fiction to ghostwriting (and even writing and building his own brand on LinkedIn).
Derek shares on balancing writing with a day job and family life, the importance of building a personal brand on LinkedIn, and some ways he uses AI in his writing and marketing workflow.
Chapters & Time Stamps
00:00 Derek's Journey of a Writer
09:01 Turning fiction into income: how to make money as a fantasy writer
16:00 Balancing Writing Books and Content with Life
31:55 How to Build a Personal Brand as a Writer (from scratch)
40:16 The Journey of Commitment and Small Wins in Writing Online
46:54 He Derek has Shifted from Fiction to Impactful, Educational Social Media Writing
52:52 His Advice for Aspiring Writers
01:00:01 How He uses AI in Writing
How to Become a Social Media Strategist (And Get to Six-Figures)
Today on It Pays to Write, I’m stoked to welcome Dorien Morin-van Dam. She says she's s Dutch by birth, American by choice, and she totally reinvented her career at 40 and built a thriving social media + AI consultancy from scratch. If you’ve ever wondered how to become a social media strategist, this episode is your roadmap.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
The client-discovery framework she uses in strategy sessions to uncover pain points and craft revenue-driving content.
Dorien's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moreinmedia/
Her Website: https://www.moreinmedia.com/
Sign up for my free course on how to write with AI: https://aiwritingroadmap.com/
Our guest today is the brilliant Matt Herman.
He’s a content-marketing pro at Aeroseal, an AI warlock, songwriter, and all-around creative.
Matt and Jack dig into practical AI use cases in content marketing, smarter ChatGPT workflows, turning generative AI into a pocket life coach, and keeping the human spark alive in writing and other creative processes.
Then they nerd out on AI: how to write with it (and how not to), how it can double as a pocket therapist, and how it’s reshaping the way we market, create, and solve problems.
They swap real-world stories, share stress-tests, dabble in a bit of doom-and-gloom theory, and break down what separates great AI prompts and projects from mediocre ones.
Free 5-Day AI Writing Email Course: https://aiwritingroadmap.carrd.co/
Matt on LinkedIn: / mattwherman
Jack on LinkedIn: / writeschrute
Key Takeaways & Topics