Not bringing my laptop on vacation (and I feel weirdly guilty)

Author

Jeff Sauer
June 07, 2025

In partnership with

The uncomfortable reality of AI efficiency

I wrote this newsletter right before heading out to camp with my son on the eastern shore of Maryland… Three Weeks ago. 

Here's what's weird: For the first time in a long time, I'm not bringing my laptop along.

And I feel strangely guilty about it.

This is new territory for me. I'm working months ahead of schedule. My marketing campaigns are running smoothly. Our AI-First Challenges are selling out with less effort than ever before.

All because of AI, automation, and better systems.

But instead of celebrating, I'm dealing with this unexpected emotion: guilt.

I've spent years building my business, often at the expense of other things I care about. Before kids, I was the guy working nights, weekends, and early mornings. The entrepreneur hustling to stay above water while trying to be present for my family.

Now I'm in this transition phase where I suddenly have... time.

And I don't quite know what to do with it.

Do I fill it with more work? Take on new projects? Or do I reclaim those hours for family, fitness, and being present?

Right now, I'm choosing to take my son camping on weekdays I'd normally be working. I'm pulling him from preschool for an adventure. I'm leaving my laptop behind.

But that entrepreneur guilt is still there, whispering: "Shouldn't you be working?"

It’s always a struggle to balance – wanting to be a great dad, husband, and entrepreneur while staying fit, eating well, and being part of my community. It felt impossible to do it all at once, mostly because work demanded so much of me.

Now, for the first time, I can see a path to having it all – and it's directly tied to going AI-first.

The marketing campaign for our next AI-First Challenge took days instead of weeks. The copy is better. The messaging is clearer. The results are stronger.

All while requiring less of my time.

As I talk this through, the guilt is fading. Maybe this is exactly what I've been working for all along – the freedom to choose how I spend my time without sacrificing results.

I hope you can experience this too. The strange, wonderful reality of having your systems work for you instead of you working for them.

I'll report back after camping (without my laptop) to let you know how it went.

To Your AI-First Success,
Jeff Sauer

P.S. Fun fact: I planned our entire camping itinerary using AI tools. From finding the best campsite on the eastern shore to creating meal plans that a 5-year-old won't reject to mapping the most scenic route – AI took the guesswork out of everything. What used to take hours of research and uncertainty now takes minutes with the right prompts. Just another small example of how AI-first thinking changes everything.

P.P.S. Want to experience this kind of efficiency for yourself? Just reply to this email, and we’ll come up with a plan to make it happen!

P.P.P.S. I've created three ways to help you succeed, depending on how much support you need:

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  3. Done-For-You Solutions: Let our expert team build custom AI automations that increase your profit per employee and help you scale without adding headcount. [See if this is right for your business]

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Coming Up at ProfitSchool

Tuesday, June 10 - 11 AM ET

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Day 1 of the AI First Challenge isn't just another AI workshop—it's your gateway to mastering the framework that transforms how businesses operate in this new era. While everyone else is dabbling with basic prompts, you'll dive into practical implementation of Ping-Pong Prompting—the exact same technique that professional prompt engineers quietly adopted once they discovered its beautifully elegant effectiveness.

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As the slides reveal, having "Albert Einstein on one shoulder and Leonardo Da Vinci on the other" only matters when you know how to direct them effectively—which is precisely what Day 1 delivers. Join us to discover why mastering the human side of AI interaction is what separates those who merely use AI from those who leverage it to revolutionize their work.

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Wednesday, June  11 - 11 AM ET

Assemble the perfect human + AI team for every project. Discover AI-driven approaches to match the right skills (strategic, tactical, management) to project needs, identify gaps, and integrate AI tools as productive 'team members'. Structure your delivery teams for maximum effectiveness in the AI era.

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Wednesday, June  11 - 1 PM ET

While most people are still asking AI to "write me a blog post" (and getting exactly what that deserves), Day 2 of the AI First Challenge reveals the BRAIN methodology that separates AI dabblers from those actually transforming their businesses. It's like watching someone struggle with a self-checkout machine while you're cruising through the express lane with VIP service. This session isn't about incremental improvements—it's about creating an entirely different relationship with AI that delivers consistent, powerful results you can deploy across your entire operation.

Today's session pulls back the curtain on the real power of AI in business operations. You'll get exclusive access to three custom-built bots (Clarity Coach, Pricing Pilot, and Offer Oracle) that you can immediately deploy in your ProfitSchool account. Plus, you'll witness a live bot-building demonstration across multiple platforms, complete with the quality control frameworks that ensure your AI outputs are consistently excellent. The difference between occasional AI users and true AI-First businesses isn't the technology—it's the methodology, and Day 2 delivers exactly that.

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Thursday, June  12 - 1 PM ET

Ever watched someone manually update spreadsheets while you're setting up systems that run themselves? Day 3 of the AI First Challenge is where theory meets implementation—where we transform AI from a glorified spell-checker into the strategic backbone of your entire business. Today we're revealing the ProfitSchool Intelligent Automation Framework (PIAF) that turns clunky, human-dependent processes into streamlined systems that operate whether you're at your desk or sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere.

This session delivers the missing piece most businesses never implement: the strategic integration of AI across your entire operation. You'll discover how to build an AI-First delivery team using the Profitability Multiplier Method, create implementation roadmaps with GUSTO, and see real-world automation examples you can deploy for your own business. While others are still debating whether AI can write a decent email, you'll be building systems that transform your entire business model. The future belongs to those who implement today—and Day 3 gives you the exact blueprint to do exactly that.

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Friday, June  13 - 1 PM ET

What signals are you currently seeing in your market or business that might suggest a need for a strategic adjustment?

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