Who It’s For: Entrepreneurs, Senior Business Leaders, Managers, Sales Professionals, Female Leaders, and R&D, Innovation, DEI, and Other Critical Teams
You can't default your communication to AI. Here's why...
How to use AI as a tool without outsourcing your voice, original thinking, and ability to connect with real humans.
Most of us are using AI almost every day.
I personally use it to brainstorm, challenge my thinking, organize ideas, research, ask better questions, and sometimes tell me when something I've written makes absolutely no sense. #darlene-isms
I think it's an incredible tool, and it's not going anywhere.
Yet there's one thing I'm becoming more protective of as AI becomes part of our everyday lives...
My voice and original thoughts.
Our voice is our intellectual property.
It's our thoughts, stories, experiences, emotions, opinions, values, humor, and the way we see the world. It's part of what makes someone want to listen to us, trust us, work with us, follow our leadership, or invite us into the room.
And I NEVER want to outsource that.
We need to write an email, we ask AI.
We need to respond to someone, we ask AI.
We're struggling with what to say in a presentation, so we ask AI.
And there's nothing necessarily wrong with any of that. The question I'm becoming more curious about is...at what point does AI stop helping us communicate and start communicating for us?
Eventually, you have to leave your laptop.
You're sitting across from a potential client, and they ask a question you weren't expecting.
You're talking with an employee who's frustrated.
You're presenting a proposal, and someone pushes back.
You're at a networking event, and someone asks what you think about something happening in your industry.
What are you going to say?
"That's a great question. Hold please while I ask ChatGPT what I think." 😂
Of course not.
You're going to have to trust your gut.
And that's the piece I don't want us to lose.
If every time we don't know what to say we immediately reach for AI, when do we practice figuring out what WE think?
Fumbling with our words is part of the process.
Sitting with a question longer than we'd like is how we find our opinion.
Writing a shitty first draft is exactly what helps us find the thing we actually wanted to say.
And sometimes we need to wrestle with an idea before we can truly own it.
I worry that if we're not careful, we aren't just going to outsource our writing. We're going to outsource some of our critical thinking and, eventually, our trust in ourselves.
Your lived experience matters.
Your point of view matters.
The story that only you can tell matters.
The opinion someone might disagree with matters.
Your ability to sit across from another human, notice their body language, hear the hesitation in their voice, get curious, change direction, and respond to what's actually happening between you...that's where communication gets interesting.
And that's also where trust gets built.
So yes, use AI... I certainly will.
Let it challenge your thinking, help you brainstorm, poke holes in an idea, give you feedback, help you research, or even coach you through something you're trying to articulate.
But don't let it do all the thinking.
And by all means...don't hand it your voice.
Before you hit publish on something AI helped you create, read it out loud and ask yourself:
Would I actually say this?
Then go one step further.
Do I actually believe this?
And maybe the most important question...
Could I talk about this when sitting on a panel in front of an audience?
Because eventually someone is going to ask you the follow-up question.
There will just be you.
Your experience.
Your thinking.
Your voice.
And I want you to trust it.
And if you're reading this thinking, "Okay Darlene...but how do I actually get better at knowing what I think, owning my ideas, and talking about them in a way people remember?"
That's exactly what we're going to practice together on September 24th.
I'm hosting an encore presentation of my Activate Your Thought Leadership, a half-day virtual training designed to help you get clearer on what you want to be known for, uncover the stories and experiences that make your perspective uniquely yours, and practice communicating those ideas so you can confidently share them beyond your laptop.
Because thought leadership isn't just about creating more content.
It's about being able to walk into a room, sit on a panel, lead a conversation, step onto a stage, or answer the unexpected follow-up question and trust yourself enough to say what YOU think.
We'll do the work together, we'll practice, and yes...you'll actually use your voice.
If you've been wanting to become more visible, develop your thought leadership, or simply get clearer about what you want your voice to be known for, I'd love to have you join us.
Activate Your Thought Leadership
September 24 | Half-Day Virtual Training
AI can help you develop your ideas.
But you still have to own them.
And that's what we're going to practice.
✨Ready to Own Your Story and Attract Your Dream Clients?✨
If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your message and start using storytelling as a powerful tool to connect, inspire, and sell—then I’d love to invite you to my It’s Time to Own Your Story: Mini-Course.
In this self-paced course, you’ll learn how to:
✔️ Identify the key moments in your story that captivate your audience.
✔️ Share your story in a way that builds trust and positions you as the go-to expert.
✔️ Use storytelling across your website, social media, and sales conversations to attract and convert more clients.
Plus, you’ll get a
step-by-step workbook and
personal feedback on your brand story—so you can start sharing with confidence.
Hey There!
I'm Darlene
As a mother, wife, connector, and dream builder, I’m Darlene Hawley, the founder of DarleneHawley.com and an Executive Leadership & Businesss Coach dedicated to empowering leaders like you.
My passion lies in helping ambitious professionals cultivate their unique leadership style while crafting an authentic and impactful personal brand. Through my coaching, we’ll work together to build a solid foundation that not only inspires your team but also drives results and growth within your organization.
Since 2007, I have been committed to guiding leaders and entrepreneurs in launching and scaling their businesses with confidence and clarity.
Today, I focus on supporting women in reaching their leadership goals and living their dream lives—all while balancing the joys of raising my family and creating meaningful memories each day.
Together, we’ll transform your challenges into opportunities, allowing you to lead with authenticity and inspire those around you.
