I'm a quant finance student. So when I started using AI, I did what quant finance students do — I ran the numbers on everything, figured out what was actually worth my time, and built a system around the things that moved the needle.
This guide is the result of that. The 7 tools that are worth learning, the 5 prompts I use every single week, and the framework I use to turn AI into income — not just saved hours.
Use what applies to you. Ignore the rest. And if a prompt doesn't work the first time, tweak it — prompting is a skill, and the best ones are always the ones you've personalized.
The 7 AI Tools Worth Your Time
Ranked by ROI, not hype. Free tiers noted where they exist.
Claude (Anthropic)
Best for: Writing · Analysis · Long-form thinking
My daily driver. Claude reads long documents, follows complex instructions better than most models, and writes in a way that actually sounds human. The free tier is solid. For business use, Claude Pro ($20/mo) is worth every dollar — it's what I use to draft client deliverables, analyze workflows, and write almost everything.
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Best for: Quick drafts · Brainstorming · Image generation
The most versatile tool in the stack. ChatGPT with GPT-4o handles text, images, and data analysis in one place. I use it for first drafts, brainstorming variations, and anything visual. The free tier works fine. ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) gets you faster access and better models during peak hours.
Canva (with AI features)
Best for: Social graphics · Carousels · Brand visuals
Canva's AI features — Magic Write, Magic Design, background removal — make it possible to produce branded content at a pace that would take hours manually. I use it for carousels, thumbnails, lead magnets, and PDF guides. Free tier is generous. Canva Pro ($13/mo) is worth it once you're posting consistently.
Notion AI
Best for: Documentation · Systems · Thinking on paper
I run my entire business out of Notion. The AI add-on ($10/mo, requires Notion plan) lets you draft inside your notes, summarize meeting transcripts, and generate structured docs instantly. If you're building systems or documenting client workflows, this is essential.
Zapier
Best for: Automation · Connecting tools · Saving repetitive hours
Zapier is how you connect everything. Form submission → email list. New client → invoice created. New content published → shared to socials. The free tier handles simple two-step automations. Starter ($20/mo) is where it gets genuinely powerful. This is the tool that turns hourly work into systems.
Flodesk
Best for: Email marketing · Lead magnets · Nurture sequences
Flat-rate pricing ($38/mo) regardless of list size — which means it gets proportionally cheaper as you grow. Beautiful templates, simple automation, and a checkout feature for selling digital products. I use Flodesk for every email sequence, lead magnet delivery, and newsletter. Worth it from subscriber 1.
CapCut
Best for: TikTok / Reels editing · Captions · B-roll
Free, fast, and built for short-form video. Auto-captions in seconds, AI background removal, and a template library that keeps your content looking polished. If you're posting on TikTok or Reels, this is the tool — desktop and mobile both work well.
5 Prompts I Use Every Week
These are the actual prompts I use in my business. Copy them directly, fill in the brackets, and adjust to your voice. The more specific you are in the brackets, the better the output.
Prompt 1 — The Hook Generator
Use this when you need to write the first line of a video, reel, or caption. Most people lose viewers in the first 2 seconds — this prompt fixes that.
You're helping me write hooks for a social media video about: [TOPIC]. My audience: [e.g., "women aged 22–32 building AI-powered income streams"] My platform: [TikTok / Instagram Reels / LinkedIn] My content style: [e.g., "direct and analytical — I back up claims with numbers, not vibes"] Write 5 hooks. Rules: → Each hook must be under 12 words → Start with a statement, observation, or bold claim — not a question → Each hook should use a DIFFERENT angle: shock, curiosity, contrarian, relatability, specificity → Rank them 1–5 from most to least likely to stop the scroll For the #1 hook, explain in one sentence why it would work for my specific audience.
Prompt 2 — The Newsletter Writer
Drop in your topic and this outputs a full email — subject line, preview text, body, and CTA. I use this every week for The Leveraged Letter.
Write a weekly newsletter email for my audience.
My audience: [describe your subscribers — who they are, what they care about]
My voice: [e.g., "like a smart friend who ran the numbers — direct, honest, no fluff"]
Topic this week: [your topic]
Structure:
• Subject line — 3 options, under 50 characters each
• Preview text — 1 option, under 90 characters
• Opening line — 1 sentence that pulls them in immediately (never start with "Happy Tuesday" or "Hope you're well")
• Body — 3–4 short paragraphs. One main insight. Make it worth reading.
• One concrete action they can take today — specific, not vague ("try X" not "consider Y")
• Sign-off — casual, on-brand with my voice
Note: My readers respond to real numbers, honest takes, and actionable steps. They don't want inspiration — they want leverage.
Prompt 3 — The Repurposing Engine
Paste any piece of content — a video script, blog post, or tweet — and get three platform-ready formats back in seconds. This is how I turn one idea into a full week of content.
Here is a piece of content I created: --- [PASTE YOUR CONTENT HERE] --- Repurpose this into three formats: 1. INSTAGRAM CAROUSEL (7–9 slides) - Slide 1: Hook slide — strong headline that makes them swipe - Slides 2–7: One key point per slide, 1-line headline + 1-sentence explanation - Final slide: CTA — one clear next step Format each slide as: [Slide #] Headline / Supporting caption 2. THREE X/TWITTER POSTS Pull the 3 most quotable, standalone insights. Under 280 characters each. No hashtags. 3. LINKEDIN POST 150 words max. Open with the most interesting line from the original. Professional-personal tone. End with one question that invites a reply. Rule: Do not add facts I didn't include. Match my voice exactly — don't polish it into something that doesn't sound like me.
Prompt 4 — The Cold DM Formula
For B2B outreach on Instagram or LinkedIn. The key is specificity — this prompt forces the AI to make it feel personal, not templated.
Write a short outreach DM for a potential B2B client. About me and my service: [e.g., "I build AI content systems for coaches and service businesses. Most clients save 8–10 hours/week after setup."] About this specific person I'm reaching out to: [describe who they are, what you noticed about their content or business, and why you're reaching out to them specifically] Write the DM following these rules: → Under 120 words → Do NOT open with "Hi [name]" — open with a specific, genuine observation about their work → Name their likely problem without assuming — use "if you're like most [type]..." framing → State your result, not your process → End with ONE soft CTA — a yes/no question, not "let's hop on a call" → Sound like a human, not a template Draft 2 versions: one for Instagram DM tone, one for LinkedIn message tone.
Prompt 5 — Train AI to Sound Like You
The most underused prompt. Most AI-generated content sounds like AI. This fixes it. Paste your own writing as a reference, and the output actually sounds like you.
I want you to write in my exact voice. Here is a sample of my actual writing: --- [PASTE 2–3 PARAGRAPHS OR CAPTIONS OF YOUR OWN WRITING HERE] --- Now write: [describe what you need — e.g., "an Instagram caption about why most people are using AI wrong, aimed at women who want to build income but don't know where to start"] Rules: → Match my sentence rhythm, not just my vocabulary → If I use casual language, stay casual. If I'm direct, stay direct. → Do NOT make it more polished or "professional" than my sample → Do NOT add any information I didn't include → If I use line breaks for emphasis, do the same After writing the first version, give me one sentence explaining what you noticed about my voice that you tried to capture.
The LEVER Framework
This is the system I use to turn AI tools into actual income. Most people learn AI tools in isolation — they don't connect them into a structure that compounds over time. LEVER does that.
| L | Learn | The right AI tools — not all 500 of them. The 7 that move your income. Master these before touching anything else. |
| E | Execute | One income stream first. Run it fully, document what works, before adding another. Validation before expansion. |
| V | Validate | Let your audience tell you what they want. Your DMs, your comments, and your email replies are your R&D department. Read them. |
| E | Expand | Once one stream is proven, build the next. Stack income the way a portfolio manager would — diversify after you have a base. |
| R | Recur | Systems and automation turn one-time work into ongoing revenue. This is the whole game — and it's what AI makes possible at a scale that wasn't realistic before. |
The framework is designed to stop you from doing what most people do: jumping from tool to tool, starting five income streams at once, getting overwhelmed, and doing nothing. Go in order. The compounding happens because you went in order.
Your Next Move
Don't do all of this at once. Pick one thing from each category and do it before the end of the week.
This week: set up your tools
- Create a free Claude account at claude.ai
- Create a free ChatGPT account at chat.openai.com
- Open a Canva account if you don't have one — use the free tier
- That's it. You don't need all 7 tools on day 1.
This week: run one prompt
- Pick the prompt most relevant to where you're stuck right now
- Fill in the brackets with your actual information — be specific
- If the output isn't right, don't give up — reply with "that's not quite right, here's what I actually mean: [clarify]" and iterate
This week: pick your income stream
- What do you know that others would pay to learn?
- What problem do you solve regularly that businesses would pay you to solve for them?
- Start there. One stream. Validate before expanding.
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