funding without burnout, IRL magic, and party-planning with ChatGPT
this week on ‘AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs’, i had a fantastic conversation with Jesse Clarke - nonprofit whisperer, government funding strategist, and the most values-driven pragmatist i know.
the episode is called: “AI for Impact - Jesse Clarke on Grant Writing, Equity and Smarter Funding”
if you’ve ever battled a 30-page grant proposal, juggled multiple funding frameworks, or just wondered how AI can help nonprofits move faster without losing their soul - this one’s a must.
here’s what we got into:
✨ the real reason 30%+ of orgs are already using AI for grant writing
✨ why AI can help equity efforts—if you train it right
✨ how to balance innovation with intention in high-stakes funding work
✨ Jesse’s idea for an AI tool that could cut hours off gov site research (hello, dream project)
💬 one of my fave lines from Jesse: “People are using it - they just haven’t told their boss yet.”
if you’ve been waiting for the ‘perfect time’ to experiment with AI… that time was yesterday. but today works too 😉
what’s brewing inside MPC - my AI implementation mastermind?
right now inside Marketing Power Circle, we’re focused on:
🔁 using AI to repurpose podcast and blog content into 20+ formats
🛠 building workflows that cut content creation + admin hours in half
🧠 writing prompts that create content that sounds like you
small teams, big output.
that’s the play.
irl founder energy = unmatched
last week was full of face-to-face moments that reminded me: at the end of the day, this whole AI-marketing-building-dreams thing? it’s about people. the connections, the ideas sparked over food and drinks, the IRL energy that leaves you buzzing.
📍 kicked things off at Occhiolino Pastifico with my brilliant client + friend Anuja Kale-Agarwal. we talked intentional AI outreach for orgs while tearing into burrata (the kind that makes you close your eyes on the first bite) and perfectly crusty bread and a 10/10 white negroni. the conversation was as excellent as the food.
📍 then came a much-loved-and-not-often-enough catch-up with my Ottawa client
Colleen O’Connell-Campbell is one of those humans who’s been with me through business evolution after evolution. we hit up Campechano, which remains solid for tacos and spicy margaritas. laughter, life updates, and some serious shop talk went down.
📍 wrapped the week with the most fun Founders’ Cocktails meetup - a new series of boozy irl hangs with Suzanne Huber. Andrew Jenkins, and Fifa Tran joined us at Bridgette Bar at The Well. it started casual but turned into a mini Marketing Power Circle reunion. we talked voice, systems, scaling - and ordered one of everything. it’s now officially a thing, and more are coming.
toronto is glowing right now. while the patio weather is still playing hard to get, the vibes? absolutely vibing.
→ want in on the next hang? reply or DM me to get on the summer invite list.
GPTs for parties + policy? absolutely.
Jesse dropped this gem mid-convo: she uses AI to plan dinner parties. (gourmet menus and government toolkits - iconic behaviour.)
we laughed, swapped tips, and imagined better systems:
tools that make public funding findable.
systems that honour equity.
frameworks that protect voice and efficiency.
yes, it’s about grants.
but it’s also about guardrails.
and in classic Jesse fashion, she’s turning ideas into action - so keep an eye out for her upcoming “AI for Grant Writing” course.
your turn: how’s AI helping you show up better?
is it workflows?
confidence?
finally sending that outreach email?
DM or email me. i’d love to hear your story.
