The First Time AI Creeped Us Out

Toya Monroe

So, let me tell you about the first time we used AI to write something for me. And I mean, I thought it was gonna be like magic, you know? Like poof! Here’s this brilliant piece of content, a perfect representation of me!

Robert Monroe

But…tell the audience what happened.

Toya Monroe

Okay. Don't rush me! Instead, it sounded like, uh, like a robot who had just finished an Ivy League course on ‘how to write like a human.’ It was weird, y'all. Too polished, too perfect—definitely not me.

Robert Monroe

I remember you reading it to me. I was like, "That doesn’t even sound like you! Where’s the Toya energy? The, the spice?" You gotta admit, the tone was all the way off.

Toya Monroe

Exactly!

Toya Monroe

And then I thought, okay, maybe it’s me. Maybe I didn’t set it up right, like I needed to do something special to make it work. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t wrong.

Robert Monroe

Yeah, see, my first time experimenting with AI was totally different. I was skeptical from the jump. Like, full-on, "Wait a second—isn’t this cheating?" kinda skepticism.

Toya Monroe

Mm-hmm.

Robert Monroe

I’m used to doing things the old-fashioned way, you know? If you write something, it’s gotta be you writing it. I just didn’t see how AI could fit into that without taking over completely. Nothing against Jasper AI.

Toya Monroe

Right, ‘cause it felt like...like it was stealing your voice instead of channeling it?

Robert Monroe

Yeah. Exactly that.

Robert Monroe

And I think a lot of people stop right there with AI, because they hit that wall. They don’t realize it’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s like getting a fancy suit off the rack—it looks okay, but it’s not gonna fit perfectly unless you tailor it.

Toya Monroe

Bingo. That’s the thing—it doesn’t just work out of the box. I had to, like, teach it how I talk, how I tell stories. And then, when it clicked? Honey, can we say game changer.

Robert Monroe

And that’s the part people don’t often hear about. Yeah, AI is powerful, but you have to put in the work upfront to make it, well...you.

Toya Monroe

But here’s the thing—with AI, at first, it didn’t get me at all. I mean, zero vibe, zero soul—like some kind of corporate robot pretending to be me. And that was the worst part, right? It wasn’t just off; it was...kinda creepy. Like, who is this even for?

Robert Monroe

Yeah, I totally get that. AI works off data—just raw inputs—and if it doesn’t have YOUR data—

Toya Monroe

—It’s useless!

Robert Monroe

Well, maybe not useless, but definitely generic. It’s like, if you don’t show it who you are, you just end up with this...neutral, canned voice. No real identity behind it.

Toya Monroe

Yup. And the first time I saw that? Oof, it was rough. Like, I’m over here thinking, "This is the magic AI everyone’s hyping up?" Honestly, I was about to give up and just do everything myself again.

Robert Monroe

It’s funny, though, because that’s the point where most people just tap out. They don’t realize the key to making it work is actually super simple.

Toya Monroe

Mmm, not simple. Workable, sure, but definitely not simple. You’ve gotta teach it—you gotta talk to it, really...kind of like you talk to our plants. Ha! Ha! But, really its, Like, "Hey, AI, this is what I sound like." And here’s the wild part...

Robert Monroe

What’s that?

Toya Monroe

It listens! Like, once I started "training" it, feeding it my real-life stuff—emails, captions, whatever—I swear, it started to sound like me. Not kind of like me, but like me me. And that’s when I was like, "Oh, wait, we might actually be onto something here."

Robert Monroe

Right. I mean, think of it this way—AI is like a fresh, blank notebook. On its own, it’s just paper, right? But when you start filling it up with your handwriting, your ideas, that’s when it becomes something that’s yours.

Toya Monroe

Exactly. And honestly, that’s when the magic happens. When it’s not just doing "a good job," but actually doing it like you would’ve done it yourself.

Toya Monroe

And that’s the secret—it’s not magic. If you want AI to catch your vibe, you’ve got to give it some input to work with. Like, dig up those old emails, your Instagram captions, even those sassy texts you fired off. That’s the stuff that starts to teach it how you really sound.

Robert Monroe

Text messages, huh? I don’t know if I’m ready for AI to be analyzing all my uh, “What’s up?” texts.

Toya Monroe

Pffft! Rob, you know yours would just be dad jokes and a bunch of thumbs-up emojis. But really, you gotta give it your real stuff. Like, when I fed it my emails, oh my gosh, it hit me—I use so many short, punchy sentences. Like, “Hey, this is amazing. Let’s do this. Boom.”

Robert Monroe

Oh yeah, that’s definitely you. And see, when I tried it, it picked up my tone—like, mixing humor with directness and some deeper stuff. Kinda surprised me how much it captured, you know?

Toya Monroe

Right? It’s crazy how accurate it gets when you actually give it what it needs. And here’s a quick hack for y’all—ask ChatGPT something like, "Hey, analyze my tone based on this text. What words and phrases do I use a lot?"

Robert Monroe

Ohh, that’s good. It’s like having a critique partner who just happens to be a robot.

Toya Monroe

Exactly. But better, ‘cause it won’t judge you. And the coolest part? When you really dive in—start using blog articles, captions, even those heartfelt posts where you sound most like you—it gets, like, scary good at mimicking your voice.

Robert Monroe

Yeah. I think a lot of people don’t realize, the more personality-driven your examples are, the more the AI reflects that. It’s like, if you’ve got a distinct way of saying stuff—using, I don’t know, slang or certain phrases—it starts to get those too.

Toya Monroe

Exactly! Which is why I tell people, don’t hold back. Show it the fun, quirky side of you, not just your business mode. That’s how it really gets to know you.

Toya Monroe

Alright, so think about this—AI can totally nail your tone, like your emails, your Instagram captions, even your texts. But you’ve got to show it the way first, right? It’s not gonna just guess that out of thin air.

Robert Monroe

Yeah, it’s more like training it than anything else. You can’t expect it to just know you from the get-go—it’s gotta learn you.

Toya Monroe

Exactly! Like, okay, say you’re trying to write a LinkedIn post, right? You can’t just say, "Make it funny." Nah, you gotta guide it. Something like, "Write this in a confident, slightly humorous tone...oh, and engaging, too."

Robert Monroe

That’s a solid example. I feel like the first time I tested it, I went in with, uh, I don’t know, higher expectations than what it could deliver right away. And let me tell you, Toya, that first draft? Whoa, it was just… wrong.

Toya Monroe

Oh, what happened?

Robert Monroe

It tried, alright, but it didn’t sound like me at all. It was stiff, formal...basically, not human. So, I started feeding it stuff—emails, messages, whatever I had—and that’s when things started clicking. It finally got closer to what I wanted.

Toya Monroe

Mmhmm. That’s the thing—AI learns by doing, ya know? Every time you give it examples, give it feedback, it gets better and better. But if you just sit there and do nothing?...

Robert Monroe

Then you’re getting nothing back.

Toya Monroe

Exactly. Look, it’s like teaching someone your favorite dish. You’ve gotta show them how much seasoning you like, teach them the steps, and they’ve gotta taste-test along the way to get it right. AI’s the same. The more you feed it the good stuff—examples, your quirks, all of it—the closer it gets to really sounding like you.

Robert Monroe

And once it gets there? It’s not just good, it’s almost... spooky, how accurate it can be.

Toya Monroe

Right, and speaking of spooky accuracy, this is where things get super cool—when you’re working with AI like ChatGPT Pro, you can actually create your own custom GPT. It’s like giving it a personality upgrade, tailored to you. Seriously, it’s a game-changer.

Robert Monroe

A personality upgrade? That’s—

Toya Monroe

Yup! Hold up, let me explain. It starts with uploading what I call "the receipts," alright? Emails, posts, even stuff you’ve written that’s super you. Like, if you read it and think, "Oh yeah, that’s me!"—that’s the stuff you share. Then you just feed it to the AI, and it starts learning your style.

Robert Monroe

Okay, so step one is about making sure the AI knows who you are—not just what you say, but how you say it. Kind of like...teaching it your voice, right?

Toya Monroe

Exactly. 'Cause straight out of the box? AI doesn’t know squat about you. But when you put in those emails and captions and all that good stuff, it’s like, "Ohhh, okay, I get you now!" And get this—you can have it create emails, video scripts, full-on blog posts—and it’ll sound just. Like. You.

Robert Monroe

That’s key. I mean, remember when we started doing this with our content? We were trying to balance efficiency with keeping it authentic. Letting AI handle some of the grunt work but—

Toya Monroe

Without sounding like a boring corporate press release, yeah. Like that time I had it write a YouTube script for me. I told it, "Make this fast, no fluff, punchy, with a killer call to action." Boom. It nailed it. No lie, I used half of it word for word because it was exactly my energy.

Robert Monroe

Yeah, and what I loved was that it didn’t just save time—it kept that authentic voice. That’s what really makes this custom GPT idea so powerful. You’re not just automating text, you’re automating yourself, your best self, in a way.

Toya Monroe

Right. It’s like having a mini-me who can knock out copy while I’m over here chasing new ideas. And honestly? Once you see what it can do, it’s hard to go back. Like, why would I write fifty captions myself when my custom GPT can do it and sound like I totally did?

Robert Monroe

Exactly. The trick is setting it up carefully, showing it the tone you want, and tweaking it just a little when needed. After that, it’s like having an assistant who doesn’t just take notes but actually sounds like, well...you.

Toya Monroe

Bingo. And don’t overthink it, y’all. Start with the basics—emails you’ve already written, even stuff from your blog if you’ve got one. Then, just let the AI marinate in the real you. That’s the secret sauce.

Toya Monroe

So think about this—with your custom GPT doing all this heavy lifting, you’re not being replaced; you’re being amplified. I know some people worry, like, "Oh no, AI is coming for my job!" But that’s not what’s happening at all.

Robert Monroe

Right, because at its core, AI isn’t trying to be you. It’s trying to help you, not take your place.

Toya Monroe

Exactly! Think of it like your assistant. It’s like having a copywriting intern who isn’t gonna roll their eyes or complain about late-night deadlines. And the best part?

Robert Monroe

What’s that?

Toya Monroe

They never sleep! AI is like this 24/7 idea generator that’s just sitting there, ready to work whenever you are. Need captions for tomorrow? Boom, they’re done. Need five email subject lines? Bam, done in seconds. It’s like having a superpower.

Robert Monroe

You know, I think a lot of folks miss that point. It’s not "AI taking over." It’s more like "AI making things faster and easier." You still have to be the one steering the ship.

Toya Monroe

Oh, totally. And getting stuff done quickly doesn’t mean it’s cheating, either. Like, let me tell you—there was this one time I had to put together a workshop presentation, and I was like, "Ugh, this is gonna take me forever." So, I tried using AI. And Rob, I’m not kidding you—it spit out the whole draft in minutes.

Robert Monroe

Wait—minutes? Like, the entire thing?

Toya Monroe

Yes! Of course, I tweaked a few things, added my personality...you know, gave it that "Toya flavor." But the bones of it? Solid. And instead of spending hours on it, I got it done in, what, half an hour?

Robert Monroe

That’s what I’m talking about. It’s not doing all the heavy lifting for you, but it’s definitely cutting down on the grind—you’re still the one driving the creativity.

Toya Monroe

Exactly. That’s the key—AI saves time, but the magic? The magic comes from the human touch. And that’s the part nobody else can bring but you.

Toya Monroe

Alright, Rob, following up on that "human touch" we talked about—that’s the part I love most about getting things done with AI. It’s not about replacing what we bring to the table; it’s about working smarter so I can focus on the fun, creative stuff. And honestly, who’s got time to waste anyway?

Robert Monroe

Yeah, and I think back to that first email campaign we worked on together. We used AI to draft it, right? And man, that first version—it was fast, but it wasn’t quite there yet.

Toya Monroe

Oh, oh no. It needed some work, for sure. I mean, yeah, it gave us a base, but it wasn’t hitting that "Monroe magic" we needed.

Robert Monroe

Exactly. But here’s what stood out to me—we weren’t starting from scratch anymore. AI got us 80% of the way there in, what, like seconds?

Toya Monroe

Seconds! That’s the thing, y’all. Like, it might not nail it out of the gate, but having something—anything—to build on? Game-changer. Instead of staring at a blank screen, I had a draft ready to finesse.

Robert Monroe

And let’s talk about that finesse part, because that’s where the magic really happens. I saw it when you took that AI draft—it might’ve looked okay to anyone else—but when you put your touch on it, Toya, it was next level.

Toya Monroe

Well, duh! That’s because I was in it, baby. AI gives you the speed, sure, but the personality? That’s all you. I added those little sly comments, made the call-to-action pop, and boom. It was smooth, it was me, and most importantly—it worked.

Robert Monroe

And that’s the beauty of it, right? AI handles the heavy lifting, but the human part—that connection, that authenticity—is what makes it truly impactful. AI’s great, but it’s just a tool. The final vision still belongs to you.

Toya Monroe

Exactly. And honestly? That’s the big takeaway here. AI isn’t about doing the work for you—it’s about making the work faster, smarter, and giving you space to do what you’re best at. You know, put your flair on it.

Robert Monroe

I couldn’t agree more. And when you see how much time it saves, it’s hard to go back to the old way of doing things. Remember that campaign we sent out? Once we both put our finishing touches on it, the response rate? Out of this world.

Toya Monroe

Oh yeah, and we were able to go from idea to inbox in a fraction of the time. That’s the power of combining speed with heart, Rob. You gotta have both.

Robert Monroe

And on that note, I think we’ve covered it all for today. AI isn’t replacing us—it’s accelerating us, amplifying what we’re already great at.

Toya Monroe

Yup, and if y’all take one thing away from this episode, let it be this: don’t be scared of AI. Embrace it. Use it. And make it work for you. Now, go out there and get stuff done and don't forget to subscribe to The NexGen AI Hustle so you don't miss an episode.