Welcome to Issue #005 of SoloLIVE! Each week, I’ll share practical tips to streamline your solo business, right from my desk, to help you escape the grind and create a life on your terms.
The Solopreneur’s Content Crisis
Ever feel like you’re one post away from collapse? As a solopreneur, you’re the writer, editor, designer, and marketer, all while trying to replace your 9-5. Burnout isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the wall you’re hitting. The good news? You don’t have to do it all alone. AI can take the heavy lifting off your content creation, giving you back hours and energy. Let’s talk about how to stay sane and scale your business with AI.
Why Content Feels Like a Trap
Content fuels a solo business by building your audience, trust, and sales. Creating posts, blogs, or videos from scratch is a massive time drain. In 2025, solopreneurs are expected to churn out more content than ever to stay visible. Doing it all manually leads to burnout and stalls your progress toward ditching your 9-5. That's where smart tools come in: Perplexity for ideating and writing, Canva for illustration ideas, and Descript for video production make it possible to focus on strategy and revenue while scaling your output.
The Burnout Spiral: Doing More, Achieving Less
Burnout creeps in when you’re stuck in a content creation hamster wheel. You’re writing LinkedIn threads, drafting newsletters, recording videos, and editing until midnight. Every day feels like a race to keep up, but you’re too exhausted to think strategically or sell effectively. The worst part? You’re so busy creating content that you’re not growing your audience or income. The more you do, the less you achieve, and your dream of replacing your 9-5 feels like a distant fantasy.
My Breaking Point, and the AI Breakthrough
Over a year ago, as a training consultant, I was burning out trying to juggle client work with nonstop content creation. I used ChatGPT for posts, scoured social media for ideas, and spent 20 hours a week just to stay visible. The breakthrough happened when I stepped back and approached it strategically. I built clear content pillars, let Perplexity handle topic research and writing, brainstormed illustration ideas with Canva, and used Descript to simplify video editing. Now, my weekly content work takes just 4 hours, which frees me to focus on clients and what really moves my business forward.
AI Tools That Save Your Time and Sanity
Today, I rely on a trio of tools. Perplexity speeds up research and outlines, giving me accurate, credible writing foundations I can build on for my posts and newsletters. Canva helps me quickly brainstorm and create eye-catching illustrations and graphics even if I’m short on design experience. For educational or promotional videos, Descript transforms tedious editing into a breeze with text-based edits, AI-powered cuts, and easy exports, keeping my workflow efficient.
How to Apply AI to Free Yourself
Pick one draining content task. Use Perplexity to draft your next article or social post - input your topic, let it structure sections, and polish as needed. For visuals, open Canva and explore illustration templates or generate new graphics for your content. To create or edit a video, upload clips to Descript and use its intuitive tools to trim, caption, and enhance your video project. Block an hour this week to test one workflow. The time saved will let you finally focus on income-generating tasks.
Your Turn: Try AI, Reclaim Your Energy
Burnout doesn’t have to be your story. What’s one content task you dread? Let AI handle it this week; it takes one hour to start. You’re building a business, not a cage. Share your first AI-created post or video - I’d love to see it. Let’s get you closer to that 9-5 exit.
Closing Thoughts: Build a Business, Not a Cage
That’s all for today. See you next Saturday.