This One Question Changed Everything for My Side Hustle Productivity 🤯
Published 29 days ago • 4 min read
“Never automate something that can be eliminated, and never delegate something that can be automated.” — Tim Ferriss
Hey there!
If you’re trying to grow an online business in the cracks and corners of a busy life—between meetings, baseball practice, and dishes—you know how important every minute is.
Over the last year, I’ve started asking one simple question before I do almost anything:
Can this be done faster, better, or automatically using AI or automation tools?
And I’m telling you—it’s been a game-changer.
The real magic happens when you combine two powerhouse tools: ChatGPT and Make.com.
Let me give you a couple of real-world examples from the Mark Mason brand to show you what I mean.
✅ Example 1: From Podcast to Blog Post… Without Lifting a Finger
I’ve been podcasting for years, and writing detailed show notes used to be one of those things I either spent way too long doing myself, or I paid someone else to do. It wasn’t sustainable.
So I built a system. Now, whenever a new episode drops on my RSS feed, Make.com automatically grabs the audio and transcribes it using Whisper. That transcript is sent to ChatGPT, which analyzes the content, understands what was discussed, and generates show notes. DALL-E generates a hero image.
To go a step further, I added a connection to Perplexity.ai, which pulls in helpful references and links that expand on the episode to improve the content from an "SEO value" perspective. The final result is a set of show notes—summary, key takeaways, resource links—automatically formatted and dropped into WordPress as a draft, ready for me to publish.
What used to take hours (or a chunk of my budget) now happens while I sleep.
✅ Example 2: Auto-Replying to FAQs (Without Losing My Mind)
On a few of my niche websites where I'm just a faceless guy behind a support email address, subscribers reply to my newsletters with solid—but often repeated—questions. Things I’ve answered again and again (and again).
I’ve now built a setup using GoHighLevelwhere those FAQ-style replies are recognized and handled automatically. The system crafts thoughtful, helpful replies in my voice, and sends them back instantly.
That means subscribers get a high-quality answer, fast—and I don’t have to spend every evening buried in repetitive emails. It’s a better experience for them and for me.
🚀 So What About You?
Here’s the real question:
What are you doing every day in your business that could be automated, streamlined, or accelerated with AI?
Start paying attention. That 15-minute task you always dread? That workflow you repeat every week? It might be ripe for automation.
In fact, I’m starting to build more content around this idea—how side hustlers can use AI and automation to reclaim their time and make progress faster. So…
👉 If you’ve got a task you’re struggling with or wondering if you can automate, just hit reply to this email. Tell me what you’re working on, and I’d be happy to brainstorm ideas with you.
I can’t promise I won’t let ChatGPT help me craft the reply if your question is really complicated… but hey, that’s kind of the point, right? 😄
Talk soon,
Mark
P.S. Even this newsletter started out as a voice note conversation with ChatGPT during my morning commute. Me talking to ChatGPT on the freeway as if the bot was sitting with me in the car. As I pulled into my parking spot at work, I asked it to turn that conversation into a newsletter draft—which I later polished inside ConvertKit. (Yes, I’m still in the process of migrating to GoHighLevel for email too!) You're reading that newsletter now. Efficiency for the win.
Looking for a previous edition of this newsletter? Did someone forward this to you and now you would like to subscribe? I've got you covered. Check out the my Newsletter Archives, subscribe and never miss another issue.
And now, a kind word from our attorney. His nickname is "Killer." Not sure why. 😀
Please Read My Affiliate Disclaimer:
I believe in affiliate marketing because it gives me a way to help people profitably. From time to time, I will promote, endorse, or suggest products and/or services for sale that are not my products. I'm pretty picky and my recommendation is always based on my personal belief that the product will provide excellent value to you and your business. In most cases, I will be compensated via a commission or gift when you decide to purchase that product based on my recommendation. In some cases, I might receive the product for free for review purposes, or just to use. In many cases, I promote products that I actually use in my business (like ConvertKit, the service that sent you this email). That ConvertKit link is an affiliate link. If you sign up for ConvertKit using that link, I get a commission. Make sense?
Here's a really important thing:
Please don't interpret anything in this email as some sort of promise or guarantee of your future earnings. My results are not typical. We've been at this for more than a decade. You could say I am an expert when it comes to online business. This means I have an advantage over most people. I can tell you this -- success takes hard work. Nothing in life or business comes easy or with any guarantees.
By following my recommendations you always agree to do your OWN due diligence before making any purchases, whether we recommend them or not. Never, EVER purchase anything that you cannot afford. Avoid purchasing products that do not have a clearly stated Guarantee, or that promises quick or ridiculous results. And always wear your seatbelt. And take your vitamins.
Why Am I Getting These Emails?
You are receiving this newsletter because you are a customer or you submitted your email address on one of my websites (probably in exchange for free information). My goal with these newsletters is to continue to delight and help you, and I hope you are happy to hear from me.
I hope this never happens, but the day might come when it's time to part ways. If you're ever ready to say goodbye forever, just click the permanent unsubscribe link below. No hard feelings, we'll still be best friends from afar. But be warned, once you click that link, there's no turning back. It's like breaking up with a significant other, it's for good. So think carefully before you click that link, because once you do, our relationship will be changed irreversibly. The choice is yours! You've been warned.
