Marketing yourself
April, 2025
Meet Ashley
Ashley Johnston is a marketer, mom of two, and everyone’s favorite unofficial therapist, who’s using AI to add one more thing to her already-full plate: “business owner".
How "She Runs on AI"
Laid off in 2024, she decided it was time. She launched her own marketing consultancy for startup founders, helping them build brands that actually stand out.
She had the strategy. The skills. The experience. But marketing herself? That was the hard part.
Enter AI: ChatGPT helped her move from stuck to starting: naming the brand, refining her pitch, even picking a course platform that fit her.
She brought in Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and NotebookLM to shape content and stay true to her voice.
Now? She is teaching her clients how to build a brand that reflects what your audience actually craves—something approachable, fluff-free, and genuinely helpful.
How AI Changed Her Routine
Before AI, she was balancing two kids, a household, and a side hustle she wasn’t sure would work, all while job searching. The what-ifs and self-doubt were loud.
After AI, things changed. ChatGPT gave her a clear, judgment-free space to think. Claude and Gemini helped pressure-test her ideas and refine her voice. AI didn’t do the work for her, it gave her clarity and momentum to return to what she does best: building brands that connect.
Her #1 AI Hack
When you're building something new, treat AI like your creative co-founder. Start by writing down what you know (your values, and goals), then use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to stress-test your ideas.
Her Advice to You
“As women, we often overthink—spinning through options, scenarios, and self-doubt until we talk ourselves out of the next step. But AI can be a powerful counter to that noise. It’s part sounding board, part business partner, part low-stakes therapist. Just typing your thoughts into a prompt can turn overwhelm into something that feels doable—and faster too. So you can still get your kid off the bus, pay that overdue bill, and maybe even make it to the gym (or at least say, “Let’s start that tomorrow”).”
Follow SheRunsOnAI™ for inspiration from women building, thinking, and leading with AI. Let’s ‘Run on AI’, not to run faster but go to places we’ve never been before, together.