Leanne Shelton, founder of HumanEdge AI Training, is redefining how businesses approach artificial intelligence.
With a background as a seasoned marketing expert and copywriter, Leanne recognized AI’s transformative potential early on. Faced with the rapid rise of AI tools and their impact on her own industry, she made a bold pivot from content creation to AI training.
Now, Leanne helps businesses worldwide harness AI’s capabilities without the overwhelm, focusing on accessible, human-centered training that resonates with even the most non-technical audiences.
A pivotal moment
Leanne explained that her decision to embrace AI was one born out of necessity and acceptance, describing it as a classic “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” moment. In early 2023, she said, her copywriting and content marketing business of nine years began facing significant challenges as conversions declined in an already tough economic climate.
“In early 2023, my 9-year-old copywriting and content marketing business had started to struggle. Conversions had already started to decline due to the tough economic climate, but then a shiny, new, and FREE competitor entered the scene – ChatGPT!
My initial reaction was to freak out because how could my agency possibly compete with that? How could I possibly charge for our writing services and marketing strategies when AI could do it all for free?
“Basically, I had a choice. I could dig my head in the sand, rock in the corner, pull my hair out, or any of those other stress-related metaphors. Or, instead of fighting my new competitor and losing, I could just accept that this was my new reality. And accept everyone’s going to start using AI at some point. However, I was annoyed with the robotic AI-generated content I’d started to see populating my social media feeds. And I was also frustrated by every man and his dog who jumped on the AI bandwagon, selling those massive prompt kits – like 1,000 prompts for $57 – that only focused on the input. No one was looking at the output and how to ensure it was well-written and personalised – especially if it was going out into the world. And no one was looking at HOW these prompts could be applied properly or whether they were even relevant to their own businesses. As a writer and marketer, I know what quality content and strategies look like. So I figured I would be the right person to fill the gap. I could help people create their own prompts that would lead to a higher quality of output.
“I was at a ‘get it done’ quarterly planning event where ChatGPT popped up in conversation. I shared my frustrations over AI-generated content – and others shared their fears around using it.
Then an idea popped into my head. I’d been running content marketing workshops on various topics for 5 years, with topics including webinars, LinkedIn, business blogging, podcasts, and website copy.
Why not make ChatGPT my next workshop focus? I asked around the room and it was unanimous – everyone was keen to learn more.
“So I gave myself a month to learn everything I could about the tool – and set a date for a free webinar. There were literally 3 books on Amazon about ChatGPT at the time. One of them was so poorly written, I stopped reading after 2 pages. The next one was pretty good – and it completely opened my eyes to prompt engineering and how it works. I also listened to a couple of AI podcasts. When my webinar came around, I had 150 people registered with 70 tuning in live. And the next thing I knew, I was being featured in The Australian – page 3 article and my photo was on the front page! It was at that point that I realised I was onto something.
“With almost 20 years’ experience and skills in writing and marketing, plus professional speaking and training, I figured I had an opportunity to understand this new piece of accessible technology and prompt engineering – then teach fellow small business owners and leaders how to use it ‘properly’ while maintaining the human touch. Since then, I’ve spoken directly to close to 2,000 people via conferences, online summits, workshops, webinars, networking events, and one-on-one about the effective usage of AI. And this year I’ve been to Kuala Lumpur three times to deliver multiple 2-day AI workshops to marketing professionals and leaders. And I’ve been invited to run a workshop in Dubai in May next year.I made my business pivot official by launching HumanEdge AI Training in April 2024.”
Leanne shared that her pivot to AI training has involved substantial learning and experimentation, especially as someone without prior experience in the tech industry. In addition to reading about ChatGPT, she immersed herself in AI knowledge by listening to podcasts and following AI experts on LinkedIn. “I picked up tips and started experimenting with various prompts – then worked out what did and didn’t work. I started sharing these tips in webinars, workshops, and keynotes and my LinkedIn following started to grow. I’ve received multiple LinkedIn outreach messages about me presenting here and there – and that’s how I was headhunted for the workshop opportunities overseas in Malaysia and Dubai.
“As I started to become more known for AI training, I soon had ‘cheerleaders’ recommending me in Facebook groups re: keynotes and podcasts. One of those tags led to me doing 4 keynotes on behalf of the NSW Small Business Commissioner for Small Business Month. That’s been a fantastic opportunity to build my brand further.Appearing in The Australian and ABC News has probably helped with my growth as well. I’ve just kicked off a 2-month PR campaign to help build my brand even further. I’m keen to get my message out there!”
A learning journey
Leanne shared that, unlike many AI enthusiasts who promote new tools and emphasize AI’s role in replacing daily tasks, she approaches AI with a focus on purpose and simplicity. She explained that, as someone with ADHD, she is cautious about not getting distracted by a constant stream of new tools and prefers to concentrate on her core business priorities. “I don’t want to overwhelm myself with the options out there. I’m already witnessing the AI overwhelm by the majority of the population – plus the fear of humans being replaced. I don’t want to add to that noise.
“But I recognise that AI is here and it’s here to stay. So I’ve made it my mission to help business leaders who feel unprepared and overwhelmed by the technology due to the technical jargon and endless release of tools. I want to simplify things and help others learn how to use AI thoughtfully and strategically, while always keeping the human element at the forefront.
Right now, it’s up to us to set healthy habits for our current and future generations to ensure AI doesn’t take over humanity.
“In my training, I focus on providing practical, real-world advice, blending relatable storytelling with clear, actionable steps. Instead of overwhelming clients with every shiny new tool, I encourage everyone to start with ChatGPT or a similar Generative AI tool and get a proper grasp of prompt engineering before experimenting with other tools. And if they ARE going to try another tool, only pay for a monthly subscription. Because then they can easily cancel it if a few months go by, then they realise they haven’t touched it since that first week!
“You want to hear one of my major concerns around AI? The majority are too focused on how the tools can improve their productivity levels, rather than how it makes them appear to their target market.
“We can’t risk falling into that trap if we want to maintain that know, like, and trust factor and maintain a human-centric business!”
Beyond the tools
Leanne admitted that stepping into the AI space has occasionally brought about feelings of imposter syndrome. After transitioning from human copywriting to becoming a global AI coach in just nine months, she often finds it surreal to be recognized as an “expert.” “I keep reminding myself that my views and perspectives are valuable. I’m coming from a different angle – the non-technical, writing, and marketing side. This means I know how to speak to the everyday human about AI, because not long ago it was all completely daunting to me too! I surprise myself every time someone asks me a question and all these musings and gold nuggets come passionately pouring out of me. I still can’t believe how much knowledge I’ve acquired in a fairly short time! Every time I hear those ‘ah-ha’ moments or someone tells me how much my training has helped them to understand AI, it reminds me that I am offering a key service to the world.
“I’ve realised I don’t have to be across every single AI update and tool to be a great AI trainer. I honestly prefer keeping things simple for myself as well as my students – because everyone is already overwhelmed.
I don’t need to constantly supply a long list of tools that others need to find time to explore. And people don’t care about every minor update. (In fact, every time I DO share a tool or update on LinkedIn, those posts always fall flat. But my human-centric posts go viral!)
“When it comes to marketing strategies and content, I keep reminding myself that I’m bringing so much knowledge to the world of prompt engineering. Non-techy people need to be fully informed before grappling AI tools – but many don’t know what they don’t know.”
“Build your visibility and personal brand – both online and offline via networking. You can’t just rely on SEO or paid ads to find customers.
People want to work with people and they need to resonate with you and what you stand for. I’ve thrown myself into networking over the past 5 years and I post consistently on LinkedIn.
Every time I go to an event now, at least one person says we’re connected on LinkedIn or knows who I am. They like what I stand for – and either become a client at some point or recommend me to others.
I also recommend showing up as authentically as possible. For me, who I am online is the same person you get in real life. I’m not always ‘professional’ in real life. I can be silly and witty. People are always commenting about my energy. I want my online presence to replicate that.”