Burnout used to be my brand.

Then I discovered how AI could work like a silent partner—handling the repetitive, the draining, and the stuff I kept procrastinating.

Now? I still work solo, but I no longer work alone.
This post is about what changed.

I used to wear the “I do everything myself” badge like it was a medal of honor.
Writing emails. Designing pins. Planning content. Building funnels.
It worked—until it didn’t.

I was stuck in what I now call the "Content Hamster Wheel":

• Create → Post → Burn out → Repeat.

• Never ahead. Always behind.

• Creative some days, completely fried others.
  
  

The irony? I quit a job to have more freedom—then built a system that made me a bottleneck in my own business.

And that’s when I hit a wall.

I remember staring at a blank Google Doc at 11:42 PM, trying to write a “quick” email for a lead magnet I hadn’t even finished.

I had no energy. No clarity. Just a sense of guilt and pressure.

I knew something had to change.
But I didn’t want to outsource. I couldn’t afford a VA.

And I was skeptical that AI could do more than write robotic headlines.

Spoiler: I was wrong.

The shift happened when I stopped thinking of AI as a tool for “content shortcuts”
…and started treating it like a systematic extension of my brain.

Here’s what I changed:

✅ 1. I Built an Idea Engine (Frase + Notion)

No more waiting for inspiration to strike.

I used AI to:

• Research my niche in minutes

• Extract real questions from forums and search data

• Generate outlines before I ever opened a blank doc

Suddenly, content wasn’t a chore. It was prepped before I even sat down.

✅ 2. I Automated Drafting (Blaze.ai + Prompt Workflows)

Instead of manually writing every post or email, I created a prompt template system:

• Drop in a topic

• Get 3 versions of a hook, body, and CTA

• Choose one, edit lightly, schedule
  
  

What used to take hours now takes 15 minutes—with better output.

✅ 3. I Systemized My Funnel (Systeme.io + Templates)

Before: I’d avoid building funnels because the tech overwhelmed me.

Now: I use AI to write the emails + copy, then plug them into done-for-you Systeme.io templates.

This turned “I should build a funnel” into “I just launched one before lunch.”

✅ 4. I Repurposed Like a Pro (Using My Own Content Engine)

Once a blog post was written, I used:

• Blaze to turn it into a tweet thread

• Zebracat to generate a reel

• Canva to create a carousel

• Notion to track it all

One idea = six assets.

Now I create less, but publish more.

Burnout doesn’t always come from working too hard.

Sometimes it comes from working against your own nature.

Trying to do everything from scratch.
Trying to operate like a robot, when you’re a creator.
Trying to scale with hustle instead of systems.

AI didn’t just save me time.
It gave me margin to think again.

To be strategic again.

To enjoy my business again.

You don’t need a team.

You need leverage.
You need tools that remove friction and create flow.
And you need a system that works even when you’re tired.

That’s exactly why I wrote a book and created the AΩ33 AI Starter Stack — it’s the free resource I wish I had when I was drowning in tasks.

There’s no glory in doing everything the hard way.
Your vision deserves more than burnout.
Let AI take the weight off—so you can focus on what actually moves the needle.

Your future self will thank you.

—

🖋 Leo Rhys

Founder of AΩ33 | Helping solopreneurs build smarter, simpler businesses with AI —

Grab My Free Book & AI Starter Stack →