Why you don’t need perfect systems to start using AI

Most small business owners delay using AI because their systems are messy. But AI is made for mess. In this episode, Tony explains why you don’t need to organise everything first, and how to get value straight away.

In this episode:

• Why “I’ll start once I’m organised” is a lie
• What AI tools actually need to work
• Real-life case studies from Tony’s clients
• How to get powerful results from chaos
• Tony’s personal 3-step “messy start” method

Tools & Links Mentioned:

• ChatGPT (Free Version)
• Bardeen.ai
• SaneBox for Email

This Week’s Action:

Choose one messy file (notes, spreadsheet, email thread)

→ Drop it into ChatGPT

→ Ask: “What’s in here? Give me 3 ways I can use this.”

📢 Join the Community:

Come ask questions, share ideas, and connect with other small business owners using AI in the Facebook Group – How to Use AI with Tony Winyard.

🎥 Video version on YouTube and Spotify

Welcome to How to Use AI and Automation.

I'm Tony Winyard, and today's episode is one that might save you

months of delay and self-sabotage.

It's called Don't Clean Before The Cleaner Comes.

And if you've been putting off using AI because your business is a bit of a

mess, you're going to feel seen today.

Part one, the Mental Block.

Let's start with the lie.

We tell ourselves, I just need to get organized.

Then I'll try AI no you won't.

Because if you wait until your files, your systems and your team are running

like a Swiss watch, you'll never start.

Most of us are operating on semi controled chaos, and AI can handle that.

You are not the messiest person on the internet.

I've had clients with thousands of emails.

17 Google Docs called final version V seven Revised, and A CRM so untouched, the

last entry was from the Brexit referendum.

Part two.

Why Messy inputs Still work.

Here's what matters.

AI doesn't care about your clutter.

It's not judging your file names.

What it does care about is patterns and prompts.

Let's say you've got 42 bullet points across four years of client notes.

Two spreadsheets you haven't touched since you were furloughed.

A zoom transcript where you accidentally left the captions on all caps.

If you paste all that into ChatGPT with right instructions, something like:

summarise this into three client segments, with key challenges and opportunities.

It will still give you a useful answer.

Why?

Because language models aren't looking for order.

They're looking for meaning, and that's often still in there.

Even when your filing system looks like a student flat.

Part three, real world examples.

So I'll tell you two real stories.

So the first story, Lisa, the HR consultant.

Her onboarding notes were scattered between Trello, WhatsApp

messages, and a dusty Gmail thread.

We pulled them all into ChatGPT with a prompt: turn this into a

client intake checklist and FAQ.

In 90 seconds she had a two page document, she now gives to every new client.

She hadn't written anything new.

She just reused her chaos.

Story two.

Mark, the reluctant estate agent.

He kept saying, once I organise my listings, I'll build a chat bot.

Four months later, he hadn't even started.

We finally pasted his messy property notes into ChatGPT and got it to

write 10 example chatbot responses.

He said, what?

Why didn't we do this sooner?

Because he was waiting for permission from himself.

Part four.

What would I do.

If I was starting with a messy setup today?

And there's been plenty in the past.

Here's what I would do.

I'd pick one small mess, say a document of testimonial quotes or a

spreadsheet of leads, and I would ask ChatGPT, what categories do you see?

What's missing?

How would you group these?

And then I'd ask.

Write a quick summary and three next steps I could take based on this.

And the bonus move.

Why don't you voice record yourself explaining what the data

is, then paste the transcript into something like ChatGPT.

It works brilliantly for brain dumps.

Part five, common objections.

Now you might be thinking, but I don't want AI to see how disorganized I am.

Mate, it's a robot.

It doesn't care.

It is seen far worse.

Or maybe you're thinking, well, you know, won't the results be

rubbish if my inputs are rubbish?

And that's the whole GIGO thing.

And yeah, that's generally true with AI, but in this case, AI can pull gold out of

chaos, if you tell it what to look for.

And if it gives a weak answer,

ask a better question.

Say, that's too vague.

Give me a more focused version based on the top three priorities.

So let's wrap this all up.

So here's your one action for this week.

Why don't you take something that's messy, an old spreadsheet, a half finished

document, a zoom transcript, drop it into something like ChatGPT, or Gemini

or Claude, and then give the prompt:

summarize this and suggest three ways I could turn it into something useful.

You're not writing, you're refining your raw materials.

And if you want more, no fluff tips like this, come and join our Facebook group.

Just search for "How to use AI" with Tony Winyard, or just use

the link that's in the show notes.

And remember, there's a video version of this on YouTube and on Spotify.

And all of the links you'll find on how to use AI at Captivate fm slash listen, and

you'll see that in the show notes as well.

So, I'm Tony Winyard.

Don't wait for perfection.

Start with your messy pile and see what AI can do.