All you hear these days is use AI, you don’t need… AI will do it for you.  Anybody can open an AI tool and spit out a social media post. But what happens when a professional uses it?  The difference is like handing a hammer to an accountant versus giving a master carpenter a full set of power tools. When the right tools are in the right hands, the mastery is still theirs, it just becomes faster, sharper, and more effective. For years, as a marketer, my biggest hurdle was keeping up with the world. Now, with my new AI abilities, it is no longer a burden but a task.

I was talking with a writer recently who’s in the middle of a job search. I told her: “If you’re a writer who uses AI, you’re more valuable.” Why? Because when someone with real skill uses AI, the outcome isn’t just a little better—it’s exponentially better.

Here’s the misconception I hear all the time: “AI is going to replace jobs.” The truth is, AI doesn’t replace expertise—it replaces repetitive tasks. What it can’t replace is judgment, strategy, or creativity. Without the human in control, AI content risks being bland, tone-deaf, or off-brand.  

But when a skilled professional uses it? That’s when the magic happens.

• A marketer can test strategies and refine messaging faster. Even if you feed AI the guidelines of ‘tourist industry’ or ‘mountain town,’ it won’t capture the nuances of Tahoe, the ebb and flow I know from decades of experience.
• A writer can move from one strong draft to five polished options. A pro wielding AI curates the nuance of voice and the impact of clear communication.
• A designer can spend less time on grunt work and more on the creative details that make a piece stand out. You have to know and build the box before you can break it open. Breaking out of the box that AI builds is a current form of entertainment for me.

How to Put This Into Practice

• Audit Your Team or Partners: Ask the people you work with—writers, marketers, designers—how they’re currently using AI. If the answer is “not at all,” you may be leaving opportunities on the table.
• Use AI for Volume, People for Voice: Let AI generate ideas, lists, or first drafts, but rely on skilled pros to inject brand, tone, and local relevance.
• Invest in Skill + Tool: Don’t just hire for the tool; hire for the skill set behind it. AI without expertise is just noise.
• Measure Outcomes, Not Just Output: Look at what AI-powered professional work is delivering—more reach, deeper engagement, stronger brand alignment.

It’s not that AI alone is powerful—it’s that AI in the right hands becomes a powerful amplifier.

And this matters for your business. If you hire someone who doesn’t know how to use AI, you’re going to always be playing catch-up. But if you hire a professional who understands both their craft and how to leverage AI, you’re ahead of the curve. That’s the difference between content that fills space and content that actually builds trust, loyalty, and sales.

So don’t hire professionals who fear AI—hire the ones who wield it. Because in the right hands, AI doesn’t replace the professional. AI doesn’t replace the professional; it supercharges them.

If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means comment below or direct message and I’ll do my best.

Nothing better than a good question to jump into.

Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com

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Trina Gold

Master Creator

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