AI tools & resources
Make AI part of how you work
If you’re here from my LinkedIn Learning course, thank you for learning with me. Below are tools I recommend for researching, creating, and getting work done.
Want to go further? In Engineered Ease, I share AI workflow strategies and lessons from putting AI to work.
Subscribe to Engineered EaseAffiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you sign up, at no additional cost to you. I recommend tools based on firsthand experience, including products I have used previously.
AI writing tools
Tools I use to accelerate research, improve drafts, and expand creative output.
ChatGPT
My go-to for brainstorming, early drafts, creative variations, and exploring broad topics.
Claude
Strong for analyzing long documents, maintaining context, and producing nuanced, high-quality text.
Frase.io
Content briefs, SEO research, and AI-assisted writing that help me move from research to a smarter draft faster.
Google Workspace
My collaboration layer for drafts, revisions, shared documentation, and reducing version-control chaos.
AI research tools
Tools that help me find, organize, and synthesize information without losing the source trail.
Perplexity AI
An answer engine that summarizes research and links back to sources for faster initial exploration.
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Google's research assistant for organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing information from your own source documents.
Gemini for Deep Research
Useful for conducting broader research, analyzing complex information, and synthesizing findings across topics.
Workflow and automation tools
The systems I use to create visibility, reduce manual handoffs, and keep work moving.
Slack
Team communication, real-time collaboration, and a useful entry point for structured intake and alerts.
Notion
A flexible home base for content calendars, documentation, editorial checklists, and dashboards.
Airtable
Structured content planning, campaign visibility, and cross-functional collaboration across complex programs.
Asana
Project and process management for teams that want more control, accountability, and structure.
Kit
The email platform I use for my consulting brand, with intuitive automations and useful segmentation.
Granola
An AI notepad that turns meeting conversations and your notes into clear summaries and action items, without a meeting bot.
Make
A visual no-code platform for connecting tools and building more sophisticated automated workflows.
Zapier
A practical way to connect tools and automate handoffs, alerts, and status updates.
Design tools
Tools that help me turn ideas into clear, visually compelling content and presentations.
Canva
Fast, accessible design for social content, presentations, and everyday marketing assets.
Gamma
Responsive visual storytelling that blends presentation, document, and website formats.
Higgsfield
AI image and video creation for exploring visual ideas, generating B-roll, and bringing still images into motion.
Napkin.ai
A visual thinking tool that turns written ideas into structured graphics and clearer explanations.
AI audio tools
Tools for turning written content into audio and creating voiceovers.
How I choose
Recommendations based on real use.
I recommend tools I use or have used and believe in. Selection is based on practical experience in my own content operations, consulting work, and enterprise environments, not simply whether a company offers an affiliate program.