From Winging It to Working Smart: One Digital Growth Marketer’s AI Journey

Hi JHERI who are you and what do you do? 

Hey! I’m Jheri. I work as a Digital Growth Marketing Manager, which basically means I’m the bridge between ideas and execution when it comes to marketing.

Right now, I’m building campaigns, setting up automations, and finding smart ways to scale things at Klimato, a SaaS company that helps companies track and reduce their climate impact through food. Lots of testing, tweaking, and figuring stuff out on the fly. AI has become a big part of how I work, which is what brought me to the course in the first place.

You recently took our AI for Marketing Professionals course. What made you choose this course? 

Honestly? I needed help. I’d used ChatGPT here and there, maybe created some visuals, but I was mostly winging it, like most people. I wanted something that could actually support how I work across campaigns, digital channels, and automation. Not just another list of tools, but something I could use in my everyday life. I figured if I’m going to build fast, I need the right stuff in my pocket. That’s exactly what this course gave me.

What did you take away from the course?

The biggest thing? AI has no limits, it’s only your creativity. A messy prompt gives you messy output. But if you’re clear and intentional, the results can actually be useful—and sometimes surprisingly good.

At one point, I even tried to automate myself out of a job, just to see if I could. (Spoiler: I couldn’t. AI still needs your experience, your instincts, and your brain.)

One of the wildest things we talked about in the course is how you can literally build a custom GPT that acts like your ideal customer and let your sales or marketing teams practice talking with it. It’s like a little digital role-play session, and weirdly powerful.

What was it like having NICOLE BOMAN as your instructor?

Nicole made the course feel like a conversation, not a lecture. She gave real examples, didn’t overhype anything, and made it feel doable, even for folks like me who were still figuring things out.

You could tell she knows her stuff, but she wasn’t there to impress anyone. She was there to help us think more clearly and ask better questions. That kind of teaching really sticks. I honestly believe she’s changing the world. She definitely changed mine.

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

Watching how other people approached the same prompt totally differently. We’d get a challenge, and people would take it in different directions. Some would go super visual, others strategic, others playful. It opened up my thinking and reminded me how creative marketing can be when we let it.

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

Oh, 100%. The day after class ended, I was able to build custom GPTs easily for my work and personal life. I also use AI to gut-check ideas, build smarter prompts, reduce repetitive stuff, and keep moving when I’m stuck.

It’s not doing the work for me, but it’s helping me do better work, faster, and with way less second-guessing.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

There’s no such thing as typical, and I kinda love that. One day I’m deep in campaign planning, the next I’m troubleshooting workflows in our CRM or I’m building our SEM strategy. Somewhere in there, I’m testing ideas with AI to spark something new.

What’s the best part of your job?

Helping a small team do big things, and doing it in a space that actually matters. We help companies understand their food carbon impact and make smarter choices, and that goes beyond just another campaign click.

And the challenges?

Start-up life keeps you on your toes. There’s not always a roadmap, and you kind of have to build while you’re moving. Some days I’m the planner, some days I’m the fixer, and some days I’m just trying to make sure everything is running smoothly. But I like the pace. You learn fast, and you learn a lot.

Where do you find inspiration?

From other marketers who are honest about the messy road. From weird prompts that shouldn’t work, but do. From Slack conversations or coffee breaks where someone drops a random idea and you’re like, wait… that’s actually good.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

You’re never going to feel ready. So just start.

Try it. Break it. Learn. Curiosity will take you way further than perfection. You learn more by doing than waiting for the perfect moment.

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

If you’re already dabbling with AI, or even just thinking about it, take the course. It’ll give you tools, structure, and just enough space to experiment and figure out your own way of working.