If you’ve been watching the rise of AI and thinking, “I should have started months ago… now I’m behind,” let me stop you right there.

You haven’t missed the boat. In fact, the boat hasn’t even left the harbour.

We’re still at the very beginning of what AI can do. A great analogy I heard recently is this: right now, we’ve only built the power station. We haven’t even created all the appliances that will plug into it — the toaster, the kettle, the coffee machine.

So if you start learning AI today, you’re still an early adopter.

Where to start

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools out there, my advice is simple:

1. Pick one tool you feel comfortable with. For me, that’s ChatGPT. For you, it might be Claude, Copilot, or Gemini.
   
2. Start small. Give it one low-value task on your to-do list (like drafting an outline or summarising notes) and see what happens.
   
3. Build from there. Each small win will build your confidence and show you where AI can save you the most time.

Why now is the perfect time

Because we’re still so early, there’s no “right” way to use AI. Everyone is experimenting. Everyone is figuring out how it works for their business.

That means you get to shape how AI supports you — not the other way around.

But don’t forget the human part

AI can:
✔️ Draft outlines
✔️ Speed up admin
✔️ Save you hours

But it will never:
✨ Make someone feel understood
✨ Build trust
✨ Make your clients feel truly valued

That’s still on us. And it’s also the reason you’ll never be “too late.” As long as you’re bringing the human element, you’ll always stand out.

So if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to dip your toes in, this is it. The AI boat is still boarding. There’s plenty of room for you! 

This article was inspired by my conversation with Bec Sands on her Confidently Visible podcast. You can listen to the full episode here.