
&lt;article class=&quot;newsletter&quot;&gt;
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    &lt;header class=&quot;newsletter-header&quot;&gt;
        &lt;h2 class=&quot;newsletter-title&quot;&gt;The Argonautic: 0021&lt;/h2&gt;
        &lt;time class=&quot;newsletter-date&quot;&gt;June 29, 2025&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;/header&gt;
    &lt;div class=&quot;newsletter-content&quot;&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;This week: Why your personal AI bot will probably bomb, how a stale bag of popcorn teaches a masterclass in customer loyalty, and why hourly billing creates the very scope creep you&#39;re trying to avoid. And the most dangerous growth myth for creative entrepreneurs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;The AI Mirror: Augmenting Humans, Not Replacing Them&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Is your personal AI bot going to bomb? According to experts, automating human connection &lt;strong&gt;might be misguided&lt;/strong&gt;. While AI promises efficiency, its value isn&#39;t replacing you, but making you better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markwschaefer_i-think-your-bot-will-bomb-personal-ai-activity-7344073410722840576-PbPZ&quot;&gt;Mark Schaefer argues&lt;/a&gt; that clients want &lt;em&gt;you&lt;/em&gt;—your empathy, context, and listening skills—not a generic interface. &lt;strong&gt;The real opportunity is treating AI as a &amp;quot;teammate&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt; that enhances your capabilities, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidburkus_most-teams-are-missing-the-real-opportunity-activity-7344349878820487168-SWG1&quot;&gt;Dr. David Burkus explains&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/saracanaday_role-play-coaching-an-employee-who-is-not-activity-7343707056123559936-eGES&quot;&gt;Sara Canaday demonstrates&lt;/a&gt; this by using AI for role-playing difficult conversations, helping leaders practice in a risk-free environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The most effective use of AI isn&#39;t replacing human interaction but augmenting it, making us better thinkers, coaches, and strategists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For small firms whose relationships are their primary asset, &lt;strong&gt;using AI to become a more prepared human&lt;/strong&gt;—rather than a less personal bot—is the sustainable path to growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A commenter on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markwschaefer_i-think-your-bot-will-bomb-personal-ai-activity-7344073410722840576-PbPZ&quot;&gt;Mark Schaefer&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt; notes that bots can&#39;t replicate the trust built through spontaneous human conversations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A user on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wilreynolds_chatgpts-impact-on-our-brains-according-activity-7344698243957637120-hQGy&quot;&gt;Wil Reynolds&#39; post&lt;/a&gt; shares concerns about outsourcing thinking and &amp;quot;allowing our brains to atrophy.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidburkus_most-teams-are-missing-the-real-opportunity-activity-7344349878820487168-SWG1&quot;&gt;David Burkus&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt;, someone agrees that framing AI as a teammate helps teams delegate thinking tasks and co-create better solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Trust: Your Most Defensible Asset&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Your clients don&#39;t need more information; &lt;strong&gt;they need your insight&lt;/strong&gt;. In a data-saturated world, your ability to provide clarity builds unshakable trust.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeff-mowatt-533ab82_customerservicetips-businesstips-salestips-activity-7344001554909208578-hLZ6&quot;&gt;Jeff Mowatt observes&lt;/a&gt; that customers value professionals who filter options and interpret information—&lt;strong&gt;the difference between being an information provider and a trusted advisor&lt;/strong&gt;. This trust rests on four pillars: credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/trusted-advisor-associates_understanding-the-trust-equation-trusted-activity-7344378984429740032-GO4m&quot;&gt;Trust Equation framework&lt;/a&gt;. It grows through small, consistent actions, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/coryscheer_millimeter-by-millimeter-17-years-ago-activity-7342999183886323712-m-tD&quot;&gt;Cory Scheer illustrates&lt;/a&gt; with his tree growing &amp;quot;millimeter by millimeter&amp;quot; analogy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Trust is your most valuable asset, built not by being an information firehose, but by being a reliable filter and empathetic partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In a commoditized world, anyone can provide a service. &lt;strong&gt;Few can build the kind of trust that makes them indispensable&lt;/strong&gt;—your most powerful differentiator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A commenter on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/coryscheer_millimeter-by-millimeter-17-years-ago-activity-7342999183886323712-m-tD&quot;&gt;Cory Scheer&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt; reinforces that &amp;quot;Trust is built in trickles and lost in buckets.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/trusted-advisor-associates_understanding-the-trust-equation-trusted-activity-7344378984429740032-GO4m&quot;&gt;Trust Equation post&lt;/a&gt;, someone notes that low self-orientation is the &amp;quot;highest leverage variable&amp;quot; for building trust.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charleshgreen_a-fine-even-groundbreaking-piece-on-the-activity-7343403636204462081-MS1n&quot;&gt;Andrea T. Edwards&lt;/a&gt; points out that discerning who and what to trust is one of our greatest challenges today.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Beyond Referrals: Building a Growth Engine&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Are you relying on the dangerous myth that &amp;quot;if you&#39;re good enough, you won&#39;t need to sell&amp;quot;? &lt;strong&gt;This outdated idea leads to stagnation and market vulnerability&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thechrisdo_whats-your-take-on-this-it-feels-like-activity-7344197576088330240-DCFP&quot;&gt;Chris Do argues&lt;/a&gt; that word-of-mouth alone isn&#39;t sustainable. Every thriving business needs lead generation, sales processes, and delivery systems. &lt;strong&gt;Waiting for referrals cedes control of your future&lt;/strong&gt;. For many professionals, the fear is that focusing on a niche means missing opportunities. But &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathanstark_most-freelancers-and-solo-consultants-think-activity-7344443169477984256-Ndn7&quot;&gt;Jonathan Stark points out&lt;/a&gt; that a generic approach like &amp;quot;We help people with things&amp;quot; attracts no one, while sharp focus on a specific market with a specific problem is far more powerful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stop waiting for the phone to ring. Proactive, focused marketing isn&#39;t optional—it&#39;s the engine of a resilient professional services business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Building a systematic approach to attracting clients &lt;strong&gt;gives you control over your firm&#39;s destiny&lt;/strong&gt;, turning growth from a matter of luck into a matter of process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thechrisdo_whats-your-take-on-this-it-feels-like-activity-7344197576088330240-DCFP&quot;&gt;Chris Do&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt;, a user notes that even with referrals, you still need a sales process to convert them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A commenter on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathanstark_most-freelancers-and-solo-consultants-think-activity-7344443169477984256-Ndn7&quot;&gt;Jonathan Stark&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt; adds that niching down helps create better marketing content because you know exactly who you&#39;re talking to.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/randfishkin_how-the-do-you-do-marketing-with-3-activity-7343337046230319104-42f_&quot;&gt;Rand Fishkin&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt;, someone highlights that &amp;quot;doing fewer things, better&amp;quot; is more effective than trying to be everywhere.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Ditch the Hours, Sell the Outcome&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Do you believe billing by the hour controls scope creep? Surprisingly, &lt;strong&gt;it often &lt;em&gt;creates&lt;/em&gt; the very problem you&#39;re trying to solve&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathanstark_hourly-billing-isnt-a-way-to-control-scope-activity-7344080778282037250-sjwg&quot;&gt;Jonathan Stark argues&lt;/a&gt; that hourly billing focuses on inputs (time) rather than outcomes (results). This misalignment can lead to burning through a client&#39;s budget on the wrong tasks, creating scope creep as you scramble to get back on track. &lt;strong&gt;The alternative is anchoring your price to the value of the outcome&lt;/strong&gt;, forcing a clear understanding of client goals from day one. Part of this shift is learning to say no to requests that don&#39;t serve the project&#39;s ultimate goal, which connects to what &lt;a href=&quot;https://punctuation.com/discovering-your-unique-ability/&quot;&gt;David C. Baker calls&lt;/a&gt; your &amp;quot;Unique Ability&amp;quot;—the intersection of your passion and superior skill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Your business model shapes client relationships. Swapping hours for outcomes redefines your role from hired hand to strategic partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For small firms, selling time is a commodity trap capping earnings. &lt;strong&gt;Selling outcomes allows you to scale based on results delivered, not hours worked&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A commenter on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathanstark_hourly-billing-isnt-a-way-to-control-scope-activity-7344080778282037250-sjwg&quot;&gt;Jonathan Stark&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt; agrees, saying, &amp;quot;Value pricing forces the uncomfortable (but necessary) conversations up front.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathanstark_the-trick-to-controlling-scope-creep-is-to-activity-7343718385106534401-Miik&quot;&gt;another post&lt;/a&gt;, someone adds that saying &amp;quot;no&amp;quot; builds authority and makes clients trust your &amp;quot;yes&amp;quot; more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A user on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daveedelman_have-you-ever-mapped-activity-7344431612312379394-v7oT&quot;&gt;David Edelman&#39;s post&lt;/a&gt; notes that understanding your own workflows is the first step toward optimizing them for clients.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Sound Bites&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;🎥 &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/energizegrowth_watch-trailer-0724-activity-7343744819355131904-PjTZ&quot;&gt;AI-Powered Innovation&lt;/a&gt;: Lisa Nirell shares a trailer for her upcoming session on using AI as a force for positive change, moving beyond fear.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;🎙️ &lt;a href=&quot;https://ducttapemarketing.com/ai-pr-seo-jon-mest-authentic-outreach/&quot;&gt;How AI Is Revolutionizing PR and SEO&lt;/a&gt;: John Jantsch interviews Jon Mest about how AI is shifting the landscape for marketers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;🎥 &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/randfishkin_5minutewhiteboard-activity-7344109785019052033-3gKX&quot;&gt;Good vs. Bad Use-Cases for AI in Marketing&lt;/a&gt;: Rand Fishkin breaks down which marketing tasks are ideal for AI and which to avoid.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The common thread this week is value—in relationships, marketing, and business models. Taking a step back to ask where you&#39;re truly creating value can transform your practice.&lt;/p&gt;

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