Jessica Camilleri-Shelton, a 35-year-old freelance copywriter and content strategist based in the UK, says her life has radically transformed since she introduced artificial intelligence into her daily workflow two and a half years ago. Between juggling multiple writing contracts, building her own business to help others “future-proof” their careers, and managing an expanding social media presence, Jessica has found AI to be more than a tech trend it's a catalyst for personal and professional growth.
In just the past six months, she has doubled her income from copywriting while simultaneously reducing her workload. Two full days a week that were once spent solely on client writing are now dedicated to business building and content creation. Using AI, she’s scripted and produced TikTok videos that have grown her audience to over 20,000 followers in under two months. “The key is knowing the strengths of each AI model,” she says. “Once you understand that, you can delegate strategically just like you would with a real team.”
Here are the five AI tools that Jessica says have completely changed how she works, thinks, and lives.
1. ChatGPT: My Personal Assistant, Coach, and Productivity Partner
Jessica relies on ChatGPT Plus (at $20/month) for everything from task management to recipe planning. “I use it like a personal assistant to plan my day, prioritize tasks, and break down overwhelming projects into bite-sized steps,” she says. Her go-to prompt is detailed, asking ChatGPT to assess her goals, meetings, energy levels, and even point out tasks she could skip or automate. When she struggles with procrastination, she simply types “done” after completing each task, and ChatGPT feeds her the next a tactic she credits with helping her move past mental blocks.
Beyond productivity, ChatGPT plays the role of a supportive mindset coach. “Sometimes I just need a little pep talk or even a kick in the butt,” she admits. “And it’s surprisingly good at giving both.” She also taps into ChatGPT to brainstorm business ideas, plan vacations, and even help manage her investments. “It’s become a non-negotiable part of how I operate.”
2. Claude: My Creative Writing Secret Weapon
While Jessica still values ChatGPT for planning and productivity, when it comes to pure writing, she prefers Claude. “Claude writes beautifully with less back-and-forth. I use it for scripting videos, crafting email newsletters, and brainstorming content hooks,” she says. She toggles between the Pro ($17/month) and Max ($100/month) plans depending on workload.
Her typical workflow involves feeding Claude a rough idea along with past newsletter editions, then asking it to mimic her tone and turn her scattered thoughts into polished copy. “The quality is so high that it rivals what I used to write at my peak,” she says. To keep it personal, she prompts Claude to ask her for relevant anecdotes she can layer into the final piece.
3. Perplexity: A Fast and Reliable Research Assistant
Jessica describes Perplexity as a valuable supporting tool, especially for researching newsletter topics, creating social content, or staying up to date with the rapidly evolving world of AI. “I use it to source credible citations or find the latest thinking on a subject,” she says. While it’s not her daily go-to like ChatGPT or Claude, Perplexity plays a key role in ensuring her content is both accurate and insightful.
4. Fathom: For Better Client Calls and Actionable Summaries
Client meetings used to mean endless note-taking and post-call transcription. Fathom changed that. “Now, I can be fully present in Zoom calls knowing that Fathom will record everything, transcribe it, and give me a summary of the key action items,” Jessica says. This shift has improved her focus, reduced mental fatigue, and saved hours of admin work every week. “It’s like having a smart assistant quietly working in the background.”
5. Canva Pro: Not Just for Design Now Part of My AI Workflow
For $120/year, Canva Pro has long been part of Jessica’s content creation stack, but its recent AI integrations have taken things up a notch. She now connects Canva with ChatGPT to auto-generate designs based on written prompts, eliminating the dread of the blank canvas. “It saves me from the creative paralysis of starting from scratch,” she says. She also uses Canva Sheets to plan cross-platform social media content including visuals, captions, and links all in one place. “It’s like an AI-powered content planner that actually works.”
How She Sets Boundaries with AI
Even as AI becomes more embedded in her life, Jessica is clear about her boundaries. “I never share highly personal or sensitive data, and I don’t rely on AI for mental health support,” she says. “I see it as an augmentation of my skills, not a replacement.” She also emphasizes the importance of adding human judgment to every AI output. “Fact-check everything. Inject your voice. Make it yours.”
For those overwhelmed by the pace of AI innovation, her advice is simple: don’t try to learn it all. “Focus on one or two tools that solve your biggest pain points. For me, it was ChatGPT and Claude. Even just mastering those changed everything.”
