Behind the scenes of my first solo Workday Gold podcast episode and how AI is transforming my work

After hosting many interviews on the Workday Gold podcast, I decided it was time to try something different: a solo episode detailing my personal journey with AI tools and how they’re changing the way I create content, research, and write.

The Wake-Up Call

Earlier this year, I sat down to begin work on my third Workday Gold book – this one focused on managing your career within the Workday ecosystem. But a concerning thought stopped me in my tracks: what if AI transforms the Workday professional landscape so dramatically that my book becomes obsolete the moment it’s published?

This realization kicked off my deep dive into AI tools and applications. Before I continued writing a book to help people think about their careers, I needed a better understanding of the current state of AI and how it could or would impact our jobs in the next 6-12 months. I began systematically experimenting with various AI assistants for every task I could think of.

From 30 Minutes to 2: Transforming My Content Creation Process

Like many content creators, I used to labor over my LinkedIn posts. A typical post would take around 30 minutes as I carefully crafted and refined my message. Today, my process looks radically different:

1. I draft my core thoughts quickly without worrying about perfection
2. I drop the draft into ChatGPT or Claude.ai with a prompt like “reword this speaking as Keith”
3. I review the AI-enhanced version, make any needed tweaks, and publish

The result? Better content in a fraction of the time. 

My posts are still based my thoughts and ideas, but better.

I’ve applied similar workflows to proposals, emails, meeting transcripts, and research projects. What’s been particularly eye-opening is discovering how different AI tools produce vastly different results with the same input – they’re not all equal. They each have their own areas of expertise.

AI as My Editor

While working on my upcoming book, Claude.ai has become my trusted editor. We work collaboratively on rewording sections, refining the overall structure, and enhancing the flow. When I first began this process, I worried: “Is it still my book if AI assists me?”

A friend offered a helpful perspective: if a traditional publisher bought my book, they’d assign a human editor to help rewrite sections. I’m simply using AI as that editor, while still making all final decisions about content and style. The ideas, expertise, and voice remain mine.

My NotebookLM Experiment: AI-Generated Podcast About My Book

One of the most fascinating tools I’ve been exploring is Google’s NotebookLM. This innovative platform allows you to upload documents, slide decks, website links, and YouTube videos into a custom workspace, then interact with all that content through AI.

I recently conducted an experiment: I uploaded my Workday Gold support book content into NotebookLM and had it generate a podcast-style discussion summarizing the book. The result? A 23-minute conversation between two AI voices distilling a 200-page book into an accessible audio format. While it certainly doesn’t say everything the way I would, it is still my content and much more entertaining this way! 

What makes this particularly interesting is how it transforms content for different learning styles. While some people absorb information best through reading, others learn more effectively through conversation and discussion.

What’s Next?

I’ll continue exploring AI applications and sharing what I learn. If you’re interested in following this journey, connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know – I’m considering sending regular updates on my discoveries and experiments.

Listen to the full episode for more details about my AI journey and to experience the NotebookLM-generated discussion about my book. I’d love to hear your thoughts on both!