Get My Entire AI Stack for $75/Month

This Week

It’s been a busy few weeks — I’ve been on the road, giving presentations, meeting with teams, and talking all things AI.

No matter where I went or who I spoke with, one question kept coming up:
What AI tools are you using?

So this week, I’m sharing my go-to AI tools — the ones I use daily to run strategy, research, content, design, and more. These are the tools I actually rely on, not just the ones trending on LinkedIn.

Want to find out what they are? Read on!

How I Run My Entire Workflow on $75/Month

I’ve tested a lot of AI tools in the past two years, some amazing, some overrated, and some that just didn’t fit how I work.

After a ton of trial and error, I’ve landed on a powerhouse stack that helps me run strategy, research, content, design, video, and automation — all for $75 a month.

Every tool earns its spot, playing a key role in my daily workflow. Together, they help me move faster, stay creative, and keep my overhead low.

Big shoutout to my colleague Liza Adams, who inspired me to create my own tech stack org chart — seeing hers was the nudge I needed to map out what tools I actually use and how they all fit together.

Here’s what I’m using, how I use it, and what it costs.

Strategy & Analysis

ChatGPT is my all-rounder. I use it for exploring alternate points of view, digging into customer personas, crafting brand strategy, and even thinking through campaign angles. It’s basically my go-to sounding board — and yes, it’s also embedded into my personal life, acting as my health and fitness coach, travel guide and gift recommender.

I like to play it off against Claude to compare outputs. Claude often brings a slightly different tone and take, which helps me pressure test ideas and refine my thinking. Whether I’m working on high-level strategy or just trying to see a problem from a new angle, having both tools in the mix keeps things sharp.

ChatGPT - $20
Claude - Free

Research

Perplexity has replaced most of my traditional search. It’s fast, accurate, and sources are cited — perfect for quick stats, trends, or exploring new topics.

When I need to get up to speed on a new topic or dive deep into a trend, I turn to Perplexity’s Deep Research feature. It’s not instant  (it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to generate) but the result is a personalized, well-sourced report that’s worth the wait.

Perplexity - Free

AI Agents

I use ElevenLabs to build voice agents that solve real problems. One recent project? I helped a travel manager turn their company’s travel policy into an interactive voice agent, so employees could get answers without constantly pinging them with the same questions. It’s a huge time-saver, and a smart way to scale support without adding headcount.

Make powers nearly all of my automation. It handles the repetitive stuff behind the scenes: triaging inbound emails, adding contacts to spreadsheets, researching leads, and connecting all the tools in my stack. It frees me up to focus on higher-value work, while everything else runs smoothly in the background.

ElevenLabs - Free
Make - Free

Decks

I use Gemini directly inside Google Slides to speed up deck creation and polish visuals without bouncing between tools. A few features I rely on:

• Background removal for images

• Text-to-image generation to create custom visuals on the fly

• Summarization to quickly distill key points for slides

I also get access to the full Google Workspace suite — Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail — all powered with Gemini’s AI features. It’s a solid all-in-one setup for both content and admin work.

Gemini - $23

Copywriting

I use ChatGPT for the front half of the writing process — brainstorming ideas, outlining content, and even getting feedback on rough drafts. It’s like having a creative partner on call, especially when I need a fresh angle or want to test a few different ways to structure a piece.

Once I’ve got a solid draft, I run everything through Grammarly to sharpen it. It helps with tone, clarity, and those small tweaks that take writing from good to great. Whether I’m writing a newsletter, landing page, or social post, this combo helps me create faster without sacrificing quality.

Grammarly - $12 for the pro version
ChatGPT (again) - Included above

Video Production

Descript completely changes how I edit video. Unlike traditional editors, where you’re stuck scrubbing through timelines and making precise cuts, Descript lets me edit by text. I just add or delete from the video’s transcript, and the edits happen automatically. If you’ve ever spent hours fiddling with a cutting tool, you know how much time this saves.

It also comes with a suite of AI features (called the “AI Underlord”), including:

• Eye contact correction to make sure you’re always looking at the camera

• AI text-to-voice if you need to swap in a quick line without re-recording

• Video description generation for publishing

I use the free plan right now, but even the paid version is affordable for what it can do ($12/month) — especially if video is part of your content mix.

Descript - Free 

Design

Midjourney is my go-to for text-to-image generation. It saves me hours I used to spend scrolling through stock image sites looking for the “right” visual. Now I just describe what I need, and Midjourney delivers high-quality, unique images that fit my brand — no stock-photo fatigue.

For everything else, I use Canva. Social posts, blog graphics, presentations. It handles it all. What I really love are Canva’s Magic Studio features, especially:

• Remove background (fix all those logos on white backgrounds with one click)

• Magic Expand (extend an image beyond its borders)

• Magic Grab (move individual elements within an image)

These tools help me create polished, on-brand visuals quickly, without needing a designer. Between Midjourney and Canva, I can go from concept to finished design with half the effort — and for a fraction of what I’d pay for stock photos or custom graphics.

Canva - $12 for the pro version
Midjourney - $10

Meetings

Read.ai is more than just a meeting recorder — it gives me insights I actually use. I love that it tracks engagement during calls and shows how much of the talking I’m doing versus everyone else. It even shows how people are responding to my input in real time, which helps me adjust on the fly or follow up more effectively.

It also covers the essentials (providing automatic transcripts, tracking action items, and delivering summarized recaps) so I never miss key takeaways or next steps.

Read.ai - Free

Stacked Up

That’s the stack — simple, efficient, and built to keep me moving. These tools help me stay focused on the work that matters while cutting out the busy work.

I’ll keep testing new ones, but right now, this lineup covers everything I need to research, create, automate, and deliver.

Have a favorite tool I should try? Hit reply — I’m always up for finding something better.