I don’t use AI for motivation. I use it to move faster. Last week we refreshed ads for our brick-and-mortar youth sports training facility. Instead of sitting there “brainstorming angles,” I did this: Fed AI deeper context about our offer Uploaded screenshots of our funnel Uploaded screenshots of the actual program Gave it constraints (who it’s for, what outcome, survey feed back from parents) Asked for multiple emotional hook variations Then I filmed and launched. No debating. No perfecting. No overthinking. Just structured testing. From Feb 13 – Feb 16 (3 days): 37 website leads $2.58 CPL (cost per lead) on one ad set $3.81 CPL on another ~$114 spent per ad set Same targeting. Same budget. The only thing that changed: The hook and emotional framing. What Actually Made It Work It wasn’t production quality. It wasn’t editing. It wasn’t targeting tweaks. It was emotional positioning. The ads that won: Spoke directly to parent identity Highlighted fear (falling behind, lack of confidence, clumsy movement) Painted the outcome emotionally (“they move differently,” “they run with confidence”) We didn’t sell drills. We didn’t sell workouts. We sold transformation in identity. Features didn’t move the needle. Emotion did. If you’re new to this: A hook is simply the first emotional idea that makes someone feel seen. That’s what changed performance. Why AI Helped (And Why Most People Use It Wrong) AI didn’t magically write a winner. Context did. The better I fed it: Funnel screenshots Offer structure Customer journey steps Real objections we hear Clear constraints The better the output. AI without context = generic garbage. AI with context = leverage. If you’re getting mid results, it’s usually because your inputs are shallow. The Part Most People Miss Finding a winning ad is not the win. Extracting it is. Now that we know this emotional hook works, we are: Turning it into organic reels Breaking it into carousels Recording new paid variations

Every business needs a lead magnet. But not the kind you’re thinking about. Most people build lead magnets like they’re handing out Halloween candy — cheap, easy, forgettable. Here’s the real standard: If removing just one item from your lead magnet is worth paying for, then the entire thing is a no-brainer. — Alex Hormozi That’s the bar. Because when your free thing feels like it should’ve been paid… - Trust skyrockets - Demand increases - Conversion becomes predictable - Your brand becomes the “obvious choice” People judge you by what they get before they pay you. A weak lead magnet says, “This person doesn’t understand my problem.” A strong one says, “I need more from this person immediately.” If you’re running a business going into 2026 without a high-value lead magnet, you’re not just losing leads — you’re losing the chance to prove your value before the sale even happens. The lead magnet is not a list-building tool. It’s the first transformation you deliver. If you get that part right, the rest of your funnel becomes 10x easier. What’s your current lead magnet — and would someone pay for ONE piece of it?

Perfect. I’ve got everything I need now. Below is a Skool post written in your voice—grounded, reflective, practical, and directly tied to Alex’s avatar framework without sounding like theory or name-dropping. It’s designed to inspire other operators and quietly teach them how to do this themselves. I finally did the thing most business owners say they’ll do… and it changed our ads immediately. This week, I surveyed current active customers only. Not leads. Not churned. Not “maybe someday” people. Actual parents who are paying us right now. This was based on the first avatar framework Alex talks about in the Lost Chapters — where you stop guessing and let your customers tell you the truth in their own words. Only 5 responses. And that was more than enough. Here’s what stood out 👇 1. The problem wasn’t “speed” Every parent talked about speed… but the real pain was underneath it: - “He said I’m too slow compared to my teammates.” - “They were always the slowest on their team.” - “I don’t want him to doubt himself against bigger kids.” - “Lack of confidence in their athletic ability.” Speed was the external problem. Confidence was the internal one. That distinction matters when you write ads. 2. The buying trigger wasn’t an ad No one said: “Your Instagram reel convinced me.” They said: - A kid comparing themselves to teammates - Moving up to a more competitive level - Parents realizing other kids were already training - A coach comment - A free trial that removed friction That’s what actually creates urgency. 3. Objections were obvious (and predictable) Almost every hesitation was: - Cost - Distance - Schedule - Nervous kid Nothing exotic. Which tells me: if we address these directly in our copy, we win faster. 4. The outcome they celebrate isn’t performance The moments parents lit up about weren’t numbers. They were: - A child asking if they had training today - Other parents noticing improvement - Coaches saying “dang” during a drill - A kid feeling proud instead of embarrassed

I’ve had a pretty big realization lately about “customer journey.” For a long time, I thought I had it dialed. To me, customer journey = Opt-in → email sequence → initial text → follow-up until booked. And honestly… that was Level 1. It worked. It still works. But I’m realizing now there are levels to this. Level 2 isn’t about marketing at all. It’s about the experience once they say yes. What happens when they: Walk through the door for the first time? Get greeted (or not)? Don’t know where to stand, who to talk to, or what’s next? Hear an explanation that’s clear… or confusing? Leave feeling confident… or unsure? That entire experience is the customer journey too. And then there’s Level 3. What happens after that first interaction? Do your follow-up emails reinforce what you just said in person? Does your text message match the promise of your ad? Are all your messages saying the same thing… or telling different stories? What I’m learning is this: You don’t need to obsess over every micro touchpoint on Day 1. But as you get better, you earn the right to see the next layer. Marketing gets them in the door. Operations decides if they stay. Consistency across everything decides if they trust you. That’s the level I’m working on now. Curious—what part of the customer journey are you currently focused on? Before the sale, the experience, or what happens after?