Welcome to another edition of Kickin' it with Kristen — your midweek motivation every Wednesday!

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💡Aha! Moment

Ever catch yourself thinking, “There has to be a better way to do this…”? Same. And that thought? That’s where the magic starts.

I used to turn to Google and YouTube. Scroll. Skim. Try. Fail. Retry.

Now? I’ve got a smarter crew: Claude, ChatGPT, Sintra, Zapier to name a few. And they’ve seriously leveled up my workday.

Here’s how I’m using AI—hourly—to save time, reduce brain fog, and get back to what matters most:

1. Organize the chaos of virtual meetings. When everyone drops their LinkedIn, calendar links, and specific asks in the chat…I copy/paste it all into ChatGPT and use this prompt:

“Can you pull out all the LinkedIn links, calendar links, and asks from this chat? Organize it into a table.”

Now I’ve got everything I need, neatly sorted, in seconds.

2. Email clarity (without overthinking)

Before: Write. Edit. Over-edit. Walk away. Rewrite.

Now: I drop it into GPT with this one-word prompt: “Clarity:” followed by my rough draft.

It smooths things out while keeping my voice intact.

3. Automating client follow-ups. Hotel contracts have a lot of dates. I built a workflow that looks like this:

1️⃣ Enter a row in Airtable for every critical date in a contract
2️⃣ With the help of Zapier a reminder for every row I've entered is added to my calendar
3️⃣ Every day Zapier reads the airtable and when a follow-up date is reached it auto-sends the row of information to GPT with this prompt:

“Write a professional follow-up to send to my client as remdinder of a critical hotel contract due date based on this infor [insert row form airtable]”

4️⃣ The drafted email lands in my Outlook drafts folder, ready to go.

4. Analyze my results. When I want a pulse check, I paste in a spreadsheet or upload data with this prompt:

“Analyze my month and YTD results. Highlight wins, trends, and areas to focus.”

It's like getting a mini-performance review—minus the stress, plus encouragement.

5. Save hours on system building. Instead of fumbling through endless trial and error in Go High Level:

“How can I automate X in Go High Level?”

Instant clarity. Immediate step-by-step direction. And if I can't find someting on my screen, I take a picture of the screen copy it into ChatGPT and say "this is what I'm seeing". It's an amazing help!

6. Need creative inspiration? Even the banner image for this newsletter came from AI using this prompt:

“A cartoon illustration of two people. One with long brown hair styled with side bangs, subtle highlights, shoulder length. This character has green eyes, an oval-shaped face, and a light skin tone. She is wearing a casual green hoodie and leggings. One has dark brown hair in a messy bun, oval-shaped face, and light skin. She has blue eyes. She is wearing a grey hoodie and leggings. The characters are positioned in a cozy colorful home office setting with two desks, chairs, laptops, and books in the background. They are planning a vacation. Warm lighting fills the scene, and the overall composition is in landscape orientation. Created using: smooth cartoon style, vibrant color palette, clean outlines, playful typography, hd quality, natural look --ar 16:9 ”

7. Just for fun last week (but still genius). A prompt to help with an upcoming event!

“Plan a monorail bar crawl at Disney World.”

Claude delivered a full itinerary, cocktail pairings, and even vibe checks.

Here’s the real aha moment: Every time I’ve caught myself thinking “there has to be a better way…”, I was right.

There is a better way.

But first, you have to stop, notice that thought, and get curious enough to explore it.

Whether it’s simplifying your inbox, automating a repeat task, or getting unstuck on something creative, the better way usually starts with one small question:

👉 “Where can I go to find a better way?”

For me, the answer these days is tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Sintra, Zapier, Typeset, and yes, sometimes still Google.

It’s not about knowing everything. It’s about knowing where to look, what to ask, and being open to doing things differently.

So the next time that familiar thought pops in… pause. Ask a better question. You might be just one prompt away from the upgrade you’ve been craving.

One Thing to Know

🏨 Event Essentials - If you’re planning events in today’s climate, one thing is clear: the old contract templates aren’t cutting it anymore. Between inflation, staffing shortages, DEI rollbacks, and evolving force majeure risks, it’s time to level up how we negotiate and protect our events.

🔑 Here are a few actionable takeaways:

• Build in price protection. Add clauses that cap F&B increases or secure discounts based on real-time pricing. Lock in fees to avoid vague "subject to change" language.
• Get specific on staffing and security. Outline your needs clearly in the contract—whether that’s front desk support, daily housekeeping, or even a clause preventing rival groups from booking at the same venue.
• Don’t assume DEI support—ask and document it. Want gender-neutral restrooms? Supplier diversity? Get it in writing, especially if it's core to your group’s values.
• Update your force majeure clause. Include flexible, broad language like "inadvisable," "impossible," and "commercially impractical"—plus language around the purpose of the event.

There’s a lot to consider, but small tweaks now can save big headaches later. 🧠 Want to dig deeper here's a link to the article!

🏰 a_far_off_place - ✨Disney+ Subscribers – Your Summer Magic Awaits! ✨

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Whether you're looking for value, charm, or deluxe comfort, there's something magical waiting for you.

📩 Send Katy an email for a free, no-obligation quote – let's make your Disney dreams a reality! ✨

🏫 Learned - Last week, I told myself, "This is it. I’m going to start eating better.” Because yes—I want to lose weight. I want to feel better in my body.

But here’s what I learned: Wanting it isn’t enough.

Wanting it is a feeling. Changing it takes a plan.

I realized I was relying on motivation to do the heavy lifting—and let’s be real, motivation is flaky. What I actually needed was structure: a grocery list, a few go-to meals, and a realistic plan that fits my life.

It’s a reminder I’ve seen in business, too: clarity comes from action—not just intention.

So here’s to making small moves with big impact. And maybe eating one (or a few) less Girl Scout cookies at a time. 😅

✔️ Accomplished - I just published my second article with Entreprenista, which comes straight from the heart. "​When the Whispers Get Loud: Using Perspective to Navigate Your Founder Journey​" is about those quiet doubts that sneak in as you build something big—and how to shift your perspective before they take over.

Joining the Entreprenista community has been a game changer for me and my business. The connections, insights, and energy from fellow founders are next-level.

If you're a founder or just thinking about starting your own business, you can learn more about Entreprenista at an upcoming info session. ​Click here to check it out.​

You won’t regret it. 💫

🤔Insight for the Week

❓Ask Kristen or Katy

Q: What was the hardest part about writing a book? The best part? Will you write another one?

A: Writing a book? Whew. Let me tell you—it’s a wild ride.

The hardest part?​
Honestly, just starting. That blank page can be brutal. I had all these ideas swirling in my head, but getting them out in a way that made sense (and felt like me)? That took some serious effort. It reminded me a lot of planning a big event—so many moving pieces that need to come together with clarity and purpose. Keeping the message focused while still letting my personality come through was a constant balancing act.

The best part?

Holding that finished book in my hands. No joke—it was one of those "pause and take it in" moments. Like watching an event unfold exactly how you imagined it. And hearing from people who connected with the words? That’s what made it all worth it.

Will I write another one?

Absolutely. I already have ideas percolating. Just like events, books are about connection and impact—and once you’ve felt that, it’s hard not to do it again.

If you're thinking about writing your own, my advice? Start messy. Stay with it. And don’t underestimate the power of a good plan and a great support system.

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💬 Let’s Connect! Whether you’re planning an event, looking for leadership coaching, or dreaming up your next adventure, let’s chat. Hit reply, or find Kristen on LinkedIn/Facebook and Katy on Facebook/Instagram.

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