Don’t complicate the moment. This Is Not About Technology.
- Marcy Stoudt
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
I believe this is the most transformative professional moment we will experience in our lifetime.
And I don’t say that lightly.
It wasn’t long ago that recruiters (like “uh em” me) were placing an advertisement in The Washington Post, then racing into the office early Monday morning to grab the faxes rolled up on glossy paper, scattered across the floor: hoping I was first to review them.
We’ve seen a lot since I graduated college in the early 90’s. The internet, smartphones, cloud computing, driverless cars: the list goes on.
But AI?
This is not hype.
This is compounding.
What we knew of it last month has already been 10x faster than most leaders are comfortable admitting.
And here’s the #1 reason to jump in.
AI Is Not Replacing Leaders. It’s Replacing Inefficiency.
I’m fortunate to see this lens through my clients and I see how real this is.
Leaders are using AI to draft investment memos in hours instead of days. They’re pressure-testing contracts before sending them to counsel. They’re analyzing performance data with deeper pattern recognition. They’re building sharper strategic briefs before executive meetings. They’re even prototyping ideas without technical teams.
Not casually. Not experimentally.
Strategically.
That’s not a tool upgrade. That’s a capability shift. When execution accelerates this dramatically, the bar rises just as fast. But if leaders don’t understand the distinction, they risk being replaced by those who do.
What I’m Personally Doing: Not Just Talking About
1. I Built Custom GPTs for Repeatable Work
Inside REVEL, we stopped using AI at the 101 level: writing blogs, organizing notes.
We elevated it.
We produce structured client reports using consistent frameworks. Instead of rewriting logic every time, I built custom GPTs trained on our methodology.Now reports are structured instantly. Quality is consistent. My team moves faster. And my thinking moves higher because I’m not stuck rebuilding structure.
That’s 10X.
2. I Built a Custom GPT for My Own Help Desk
The hardest part of being a solopreneur?
When something breaks, there’s no IT department. Just 800 numbers and hold times.
So I built one.
I created a Custom GPT for my entire tech stack: Google Suite, dual monitors, website, LinkedIn Recruiter, podcast tools, even the printer that never seems to work.
Now when something glitches, I don’t ask ChatGPT or Google blindly. I go to my custom project that knows all of the things that I’m using. Within seconds of typing my problem, this GPT reminds me I’m on the wrong WiFi. Or that a setting changed in Chrome. Or that Riverside updated something.
It knows my ecosystem. That’s not convenience. It’s empowerment. It’s removing the hours of complaining about technology or hold times or delays because I can’t do something.
That’s 10X.
3. I Created a Brand Voice GPT for My Virtual Assistant
Angel has been with me since 2022.
Her English continues to strengthen: but our brand voice requires nuance, tone, and precision Instead of guessing tone, she now uses a custom GPT trained on REVEL’s positioning, philosophy, and language patterns.
The result? Fewer revisions. Faster publishing. Stronger brand consistency. Elevated output without micromanagement.
That’s not automation for speed. That’s institutional intelligence.
4. I Turned Fear Into Infrastructure
I hired Edwin Jansen to challenge my belief systems around AI. My original question was so junior. What should my AI Tech Stack be? The process to work with him was transformative because he starts with a mindset.
One fear surfaced clearly. I didn’t realize that my fear of AI wasn’t for me personally, it’s for the loyal senior leaders who are slowly getting replaced. They’re expensive and now junior leaders are stepping up with 10x speed.
Some of those leaders are my friends. They are not “done” working for many reasons. But I kept hearing quiet fears: Fear AI could make your experience feel less relevant. Uncertainty about how to use AI strategically. Feeling embarrassed to job seek at your level.
That fear is real.
But it doesn’t have to define the future. So I built something. A $199 AI-supported Career Strategist program for senior leaders in transition.
Not a résumé chatbot. Not generic advice.
A structured system that restores confidence, helps leaders network as peers: not applicants: and teaches them how to build their own Customer GPT to 10X their intellectual capital.
To future-proof their wisdom. Because their experience has tremendous value.
And if you know someone in that season:
5. I Use AI to Expand My Own Thinking
This might be the most important one.
I use voice mode when I’m stuck and it’s fun to find windows of time that I can leverage. Waiting for carpool, walking the dogs, in the morning getting ready for my day. I talk through client strategy. I reference business models they’re using. I ask AI to challenge me.
Sometimes I’ll bring my GPT Strategist into a whiteboard session: literally as a scribe: helping me visualize what I’m feeling but can’t quite articulate.
When I’m identifying derailers for a client, I’ll say, “Push back on me. Where might I be over-indexing?”
It doesn’t replace my wisdom.
It turns it into action.
Faster.
Sharper.
More structured.
This Is a Leadership Moment
The cost of producing analysis is collapsing. The speed of generating options is accelerating. But judgment? Alignment? Cultural stewardship?
Those are not automatable.
In fact, they become more valuable. Acceleration without alignment creates burnout. Acceleration with alignment creates momentum.
That is a leadership choice.
A Practical Checklist: Starting Now
If you’re serious about leading in this moment, don’t overcomplicate it. This isn’t about becoming an AI expert overnight. It’s about shifting posture — from passive observer to active learner, from delegator to designer, from busy operator to disciplined leader. The opportunity isn’t theoretical. It’s practical. And it starts with how you choose to show up this month.
Get Curious. Relentlessly.
Stop treating AI like a feature you tested once. What you learned two months ago is already outdated. By the time you finish reading this, new capabilities will have shipped.
Use whichever platform you’re on — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot — and ask it to teach you.
“What are advanced use cases in my industry?”
“How could someone in my role use AI at a higher level?”
“Where am I under-leveraging this?”
“Challenge how I’m currently working.”
Schedule 20 intentional minutes a week to explore. Not scrolling. Learning. The leaders who rise won’t be the most technical. They’ll be the most curious.
Own Your Inefficiency.
Before you delegate another task to someone on your team, pause.
Ask:
What can I automate?
What can I standardize?
What repetitive thinking am I still doing manually?
Where is there drag or recurring error in my own workflow?
What’s slowing you down today may not be a workload issue. It may be a question you haven’t asked AI yet. Instead of pushing work downward, remove friction outward.
If five people are repeating the same cognitive task, build one AI structure for it.
Efficiency is leadership.
Do the Human Work Better.
As execution accelerates, the human work becomes more important — not less.
AI can generate options. Only you can exercise judgment.
AI can summarize information. Only you can align a team.
AI can increase speed. Only you can protect culture.
Acceleration without alignment creates burnout. Acceleration with alignment creates momentum.
This is where real leadership shows up.
The future will not reward those who waited to “see how this plays out.” It will reward the leaders who learned, redesigned, and stepped into the moment.
Not overwhelmed. Not reactive.
Intentional.
That’s the shift.
REVEL COMPANIES
Helping organizations create winning cultures to achieve results.
Masterminds Enrolling Now!
Marcy Stoudt is a seasoned sales leader dedicated to shaping the future of talent acquisition and executive coaching. As the founder of Revel Search and Revel Coach, Marcy collaborates with corporate clients to develop innovative strategies for attracting, advancing, and retaining top-tier talent.
During her 22 years at Allegis Group, Marcy was TEKsystems's first female Vice President. She led a team of 300 producers and delivered four consecutive years of revenue results at 18% CAGR, averaging $320 million annually. While at MarketSource, she established the Customer Experience Strategy for the Target Mobile outsourced sales team at 1,540 Target locations, fostering executive-level relationships with Target and Apple.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
