Part of an ongoing series exploring how women are experiencing the rise of AI in their work and personal lives.
Much of the conversation around AI focuses on what it can create. We compare models, debate prompts, and marvel at how quickly AI can write, design, or generate ideas.
But for many business owners, AI's greatest value isn't creating content. It's creating capacity.
When AI can organize calendars, monitor projects, summarize information, surface priorities, and connect the tools you already use, it becomes more than another productivity app. It starts functioning like an operational partner, quietly handling the work that keeps a business running.
That's exactly how Laura MacGregor approaches AI.
Rather than using it simply to produce more marketing content, she has built a connected AI workflow that helps her run a one-person business with the support of systems that would once have required additional staff. Her story shows that for many entrepreneurs, the biggest opportunity isn't working longer or even working faster. It's building smarter systems that make every hour count.
Meet the Interviewee
Laura MacGregor is the CMO and Principal of Savvy Marketing Works, a U.S.-based marketing consultancy specializing in strategic marketing leadership and business growth.
Interview
Before AI became widely adopted, how would you describe your work and daily responsibilities?
I own a business and deliver marketing strategy work to clients. This means I'm doing everything from triaging email to CRM admin to categorizing financial transactions to invoicing to project management to actual strategic planning. As a team of one, there is nobody reminding me of things I may have missed or flagging issues. I am generally an organized person, but I was spending more time on those tasks than I should.
How does AI currently intersect with your work or personal life?
It now acts as an assistant, planner, and COO for my business at different times. For example, AI gives me a daily brief, a rundown of news in my key topics, plus client mention monitoring, calendar review, flagging relevant journalist queries from my inbox, and Asana queue checks. It keeps me up to date without needing to review those systems separately. I can ask it to do a task and I can do something else while that work is done in parallel. As a business owner, AI is helping keep my overhead low while at the same time optimizing processes and freeing up my own time.
What AI tools, if any, do you regularly use?
Claude (including Claude Cowork), Perplexity, and Lovable. I use AI features of tools like HubSpot, Descript, Zapier, and Otter. And I connect many tools to Claude so Claude becomes the interface for making updates to them, including Asana and Notion.
Can you describe a specific moment when you realized AI was directly affecting your work, career, or personal life?
When AI went mainstream, it was touted for replacing marketing, or at least for exponentially increasing the output of what marketing can produce. Now anyone would have the ability to produce written content, a video, or a marketing plan. And that is possible... but we've since learned a few things.
First, context and prompting are key to getting the best possible output. Those without marketing experience might not know what to ask for and might not know whether the result is any good.
Second, we've since learned that generative AI usually does not produce high-enough quality content on the first go. The human element is still very much needed so you avoid the risk of publishing what's perceived as AI slop.
What was your initial reaction? Please explain why you experienced that emotion?
Skepticism. AI can give you words and ideas. But at least for now, it cannot replace years of experience, depth of product or audience expertise, and the gut feelings you have based on the combination of those. It is a helpful tool but it is not a replacement.
AI can give you words and ideas. But at least for now, it cannot replace years of experience, depth of product or audience expertise, and the gut feelings you have based on the combination of those. It is a helpful tool but it is not a replacement.
What has been the biggest positive impact AI has had on your life or work?
One of my favorite AI use cases is my weekly prep skill. It looks at all 6 of my calendars plus Asana and identifies priorities for the week, potential roadblocks (overbooked days), and then time blocks the work I need to do on a dedicated calendar around my meetings.
It plans my week so I don’t have to review all those systems and it points out problems before they happen and helps me prepare/adjust. Yes, I could manage my own calendar, but the benefit here is that it happens more quickly and it's able to look at both the very big picture and the details simultaneously. It doesn't simply shove everything that needs to be done in the time blocks. It takes into account how many hours I want to work that week and personal appointments and obligations, too. It recommends what might need to adjust. That is when I realized how impactful that it is.
As someone who balances family caregiving, chronic illness, and work, the "balance" part of this sentence can be hard to achieve. AI helps me ensure I'm not taking on too much while still meeting my deadlines. It keeps my workload reasonably aligned with everything that's going on.
What has been the biggest challenge, frustration, or downside?
The consistent quality of AI's output is frustrating. I spent a lot of time calibrating my tone of voice for writing. Sometimes content comes out spot-on. Other times it sounds like generic, AI-generated content. If I ask AI about it, it recognizes that I'm right and apologizes. It's almost like a human employee that's having an off-day, which of course you'd understand. But I think we expect machines to be consistent because they are machines!
Has AI changed how you think about your skills, value, creativity, or professional identity?
I can move faster and delegate work that isn't the best use of my time. I think about the best ways to do that.
Have you ever felt pressure to learn or adapt to AI faster than you were comfortable with?
Yes, there is definitely a lot of hype about being left behind or replaced. I have a goal to spend 15 minutes a day learning or trying something new in an AI tool. I don't use it for things that feel to risky or potentially insecure.
Do you think AI has affected expectations at work?
Yes, there is an expectation that everyone use it. In my last job, the only AI tool we had access to was Copilot. People were sending back and forth emails that were read and responded to by Copilot. They were longwinded and often a waste of time. Those who can truly learn how to harness AI for analysis, efficiency, and the like will come out stronger.
What is one thing about AI that most people misunderstand?
That it has all the right answers. At the end of the day it's making its best guess, and it can still be wrong. Some of the mathematical calculations it makes can be incorrect. It is a tool. You still need to review and finalize what it gives you.
What advice would you give other women navigating AI's growing influence in their careers or lives?
Just try it. I went from basic research to 25+ use cases that integrate across my systems this year. Start with things you already know how to do or know the answer to so that you can verify whether it's working as expected. Context is important. My favorite piece of advice is to treat it like an intern on their first day - you'd give them the instructions and expectations for the task, not just tell them to "do x" and be disappointed when it's not right.
Are you more optimistic or more concerned about AI's future impact? Why?
Mostly optimistic, but it's going to be interesting when the profitability and true cost of AI levels out. I wonder whether the things I'm using it for today will still be affordable.
Complete this sentence: "AI has changed my life by ________."
empowering me to accelerate and optimize what I do as a solopreneur.
Final Thoughts
One idea from Laura's interview stayed with me is that while most people think about AI in terms of tasks, Laura thinks about it in terms of systems.
That's a subtle but important distinction.
Writing an email faster is useful. Having AI monitor six calendars, identify scheduling conflicts before they happen, prioritize work based on deadlines, family commitments, and available hours, and then build a realistic week around all of it? That's operating at an entirely different level.
It also highlights something I've seen repeatedly throughout this interview series. The women benefiting most from AI aren't necessarily using the most sophisticated prompts or chasing every new tool that launches. They're thoughtfully integrating AI into the realities of their lives and work.
Laura's story also serves as an important reminder that AI isn't a substitute for expertise. Marketing strategy, judgment, experience, and understanding customers still belong to people. AI can accelerate execution, but it can't replace years of accumulated knowledge or instinct.
Perhaps the most inspiring part of her experience is that AI isn't helping her become a bigger company. It's helping her become a better one.
For entrepreneurs, consultants, freelancers, and anyone running a business alone, that's an exciting possibility. You don't necessarily need to hire more people to gain operational leverage. Sometimes, you simply need better systems.
And increasingly, AI is becoming one of the most powerful systems available.
Are you a woman using AI in your work, business, studies, or daily life? I'd love to hear your perspective. If AI has changed how you work, create, learn, lead, or think about your future, share your story in the comments. I'm always looking for new voices and would be happy to interview you for a future edition of this series.
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