AI is everywhere right now.
New tools show up daily.
Some people feel behind.
Some people are quietly using it every day.
And a lot of people are trying to figure out where they even start.
So let’s slow this down for a minute.
Because most businesses don’t actually have an AI problem.
They have a clarity problem.
When there are no shared expectations, people guess.
Some teams lean in. Others avoid it.
Leaders feel unsure how much guidance to give.
And what happens next?
- Work gets duplicated
- Tools get used in secret
- Risk quietly grows
- Time isn’t actually saved
I see this all the time.
People aren’t trying to break rules.
They’re just trying to get their work done.
That’s where the Good AI Way comes in.
At Good Circle Marketing, we believe this:
When people lead and purpose guides, AI multiplies the good work already happening.
Not replaces it.
Not shortcuts it.
Supports it.
And we’ve found that using AI well comes down to four simple things:
- Standards
- Skills
- Systems
- Support
Let’s walk through each one.
It Didn’t Start the Way I Thought It Would
At the end of 2020, I lost my job.
It was a place I had poured a lot into. And if I’m being honest, I started 2021 frustrated. Trying to figure out what came next.
In January, I wrote:
- Help me trust you
- Help me rest and refill
- Help me see your path and follow
I wasn’t trying to start a business.
I was just trying to take the next step.
That season of rest mattered more than I realized at the time. It gave space to think. To pray. To reset.
If you’re in a starting place right now, don’t rush past that part.
The First “Yes”
At the end of January, I said something out loud I hadn’t fully admitted to myself yet.
“I think I’m getting ready to start my own business.”
I hadn’t planned it.
I hadn’t talked it through.
But I said it anyway.
One month later, I had my first client.
Then a second.
Looking back, it feels simple. But at the time, it felt like one small step at a time.
The Phrase That Shaped Everything
In March of that year, I wrote something that has stayed with me ever since:
Do good work for good people.
It wasn’t a slogan.
It wasn’t part of a strategy.
It was a prayer.
- Help me be a peacemaker
- Bless my clients
- Let this work be good for them and good for me
That phrase became a filter.
Who we work with.
How we work.
Why we work.
And five years later, it still holds.
Prayers That Built the Business
As I read through that journal, I noticed how often the same prayers showed up.
Over and over again:
- Send me the clients you want me to help
- Help me trust you
- Help me lay down my way for yours
There wasn’t a perfect plan.
There was consistency.
There was asking.
There was listening.
And slowly, things started to take shape.
Building What I Couldn’t Do Alone
By May, I realized something quickly.
I couldn’t do everything.
So I started praying for help.
- A freelance web developer
- The right people to support the work
Not long after, those people showed up.
That’s where the idea of working with consultants began. Bringing in people who were better at certain things. Letting them do what they do best.
Today, that’s a core part of how we operate.
The Start of A Good Pour
In the middle of that first year, something else started.
Conversations.
Simple ones. Sitting down over coffee. Learning about people in our community.
That became A Good Pour.
At the time, there were no cameras. No production. Just real conversations.
Those early moments led to what we have now, a podcast, a studio, a team, and stories that continue to matter.
The Foundation Was Set Early
As the year went on, more pieces came together:
- The Marketing Machine
- The idea of a fractional CMO
- An intern program that is still close to my heart
- A growing team of freelancers
What stands out most is this:
The foundation didn’t change.
The same prayers.
The same purpose.
The same focus on people.
What 5 Years Later Looks Like
Today, we’ve grown.
We’ve added new services, including AI consulting.
We’ve worked with incredible clients.
We’ve built a team that cares deeply about the work.
But when I look back, I don’t see a completely different business.
I see a continuation.
Of the same prayers.
The same values.
The same desire to do good work.
If You’re Building Something Right Now
Here’s what I would tell you, five years in:
- Start small
- Pay attention to what keeps showing up
- Ask for help sooner than you think you should
- Stay consistent, even when it feels slow
And most importantly:
Keep your focus on people.
The work matters.
But the people matter more.
Thank You for Being Part of This
If you’ve listened to the podcast…
If you’ve trusted us with your business…
If you’ve supported, encouraged, or prayed along the way…
Thank you.
You are part of this story.
And I’m grateful we get to keep doing this work together.
Let’s keep doing good work for good people.