The 5 AI Tools That Ran My Business While I Was in Greece (Plus That Fish Story)

The exact 5-tool system I promised

Hi Friends,

Remember Monday when I said I’d show you the exact system that ran my business while I was eating my body weight in gyros?

And Tuesday, when I promised screenshots?

And yesterday, when I teased “the voice hack”?

Well, grab your coffee (or your freddo espresso if you’re fancy). We’re doing this.

But first... the legendary Vouliagmeni Lake fish story my wife won’t let me forget.

The Doctor Fish Incident of 2025

Picture this: We’re at Vouliagmeni Lake – this insane thermal lake about 30 minutes from Athens. The water’s naturally 75°F even in October because of underground thermal springs. It’s got these minerals and sulfur that supposedly cure everything from arthritis to bad life choices.

But here’s what the fancy website DOESN’T tell you...

The lake is full of Garra rufa fish. “Doctor fish,” they call them. They nibble dead skin off your feet as a “natural spa treatment.”

My wife: “It’s therapeutic! The locals swear by it!” Me: “I don’t need fish eating my feet.” My wife: “Don’t be a baby. Angelo The Greek said it changed his life.” Spoiler Alert, he didn’t say that lol

So I wade in. The water’s gorgeous – this perfect turquoise from the minerals. I’m feeling fancy. Sophisticated, even.

Then I stand still for literally THREE SECONDS.

HUNDREDS of these little doctor fish swarm my feet like I’m a walking Golden Corral buffet. Not a gentle nibble. We’re talking FEAST MODE.

Greek woman next to me: “Wow... they really like you!” My wife: [crying with laughter, taking videos] Me: [trying to act calm while fish are having Thanksgiving on my toes]

Other tourists are gathering. Someone’s kid points and says IN ENGLISH: “Mommy, why do all the fish want that man?”

Twenty minutes later, I had baby soft feet and a new reputation as “Fish Man” at the lake’s taverna.

But here’s the thing – while those Garra rufa were going to town on my neglected Chicago winter feet, Richard’s barbershop was booking clients, Angelo’s restaurant was answering emails, and my invoices were getting paid.

Because these 5 tools were working harder than those hungry sulfur-water fish.

The “Set It and Forget It” Arsenal

I’m giving you everything. The tools, the prompts, the actual setup.

Tool #1: The Email Answerer

Takes 20 minutes to set up, saves you 5-7 hours every week

The Tool: Gmail + Canned Responses (or any email platform with templates)

The Setup:

1. Go through your sent folder. Find your 20 most common email responses

2. Open Claude or ChatGPT

3. Feed it this specific prompt:

I’m going to paste 20 emails I send regularly. Create a template for each one that:
- Keeps my exact tone and style
- Has [BRACKETS] for parts I need to customize
- Includes a clear next step for the recipient
- Takes less than 30 seconds to personalize

Here are my actual emails:
[PASTE YOUR EMAILS]

Format each template like:
SITUATION: [When to use this]
TEMPLATE: [The actual template]
CUSTOMIZE: [What needs personalizing]

Real Example from Angelo The Greek: (Yes, the same Angelo who convinced me to try the fish lake)

• SITUATION: Customer asking about private events

• TEMPLATE: “Hey [NAME]! Love to host your [EVENT TYPE]. We can accommodate [NUMBER] people in our private room. Includes full menu access and dedicated server. Runs $[PRICE] minimum. Want to check out the space? Can show you around [DAY] afternoon. What works?”

• CUSTOMIZE: Name, event type, number, price, day

My Greece Results: 73 emails answered while I was literally floating in that mineral-rich lake, getting a fish pedicure. Clients thought I was working overtime.

Tool #2: The Appointment Ninja

30-minute setup for 8-10 hours back each week

The Tool: Calendly (free version) + Zapier (free tier) + Google Calendar

The Setup:

1. Create a Calendly with your availability (link it to Google Calendar to avoid double-booking)

2. Set up these appointment types:

   • Quick Call (15 min)

   • Consultation (30 min)

   • Deep Dive (60 min)

3. In Zapier, create this automation:

   • Trigger: New Calendly booking

   • Action 1: Add to Google Calendar with all details

   • Action 2: Send text to you (optional)

   • Action 3: Send confirmation email with this template:

Subject: Confirmed: Our [MEETING TYPE] on [DATE]

Hey [NAME]!

Looking forward to our chat on [DATE] at [TIME].

We’ll cover: [THEIR STATED REASON FOR MEETING]

Join here: [MEETING LINK]

Quick favor: Reply with the #1 thing you want to make sure we discuss.

See you soon!

Richard’s Calendly results: 47 bookings over 14 days. Average time to book: 2 minutes. His time spent: ZERO.

Tool #3: The Money Tracker

15 minutes to set up

The Tool: Your existing invoice software + this email sequence

The Sequence That Gets You Paid:

Here’s what to tell ChatGPT:

Write 5 payment reminder emails for my [BUSINESS TYPE]. 

Email 1 - Same day as service/delivery:
Subject: “Thanks for choosing us! (Invoice attached)”
Tone: Warm, appreciative
Include: Invoice attached, payment methods, thank you

Email 2 - Day 7:
Subject: “Quick invoice reminder”
Tone: Super friendly, assuming they forgot
Include: “I know how crazy things get”, invoice attached again

Email 3 - Day 14:
Subject: “Checking in on invoice [NUMBER]”
Tone: Still friendly but professional
Include: “Let me know if there’s any issue”

Email 4 - Day 21:
Subject: “Invoice [NUMBER] - Need your attention”
Tone: Professional, direct
Include: Late fee warning (if applicable)

Email 5 - Day 30:
Subject: “Final notice: Invoice [NUMBER]”
Tone: Firm but not angry
Include: Next steps if not paid

Make each email 4 sentences max. Never sound passive-aggressive.

Then set these up in QuickBooks/FreshBooks/Wave/whatever you use as an automated sequence.

The Psychology: People don’t pay because they’re evil. They pay when reminded at the right frequency. AI never feels awkward about reminding.

Tool #4: The Content Machine

45 minutes invested = 1 month of content created

The Tool: Google Docs + ChatGPT + Buffer (free version)

The One-Time Voice Training Setup:

This is the voice hack I’ve been teasing all week. Do this ONCE and AI will sound like you forever:

STEP 1: Feed AI your actual writing
“Here are 10 things I’ve written: [paste emails/posts/texts]
Analyze my writing style. Tell me:
- How I structure sentences
- Words I use often
- My humor style
- How I start/end messages”

STEP 2: Create your voice profile
“Based on that analysis, create a ‘voice profile’ for me that any AI can use to match my writing style”

STEP 3: Save this profile and use it for everything
“Using my voice profile, write [WHATEVER YOU NEED]”

Content Calendar Prompt (after voice training):

Paste this prompt:

Using my voice profile, create 30 social media posts for my [BUSINESS TYPE]:

Week 1: Educational tips about [TOPIC]
Week 2: Behind the scenes content
Week 3: Customer success stories
Week 4: Common mistakes to avoid

Format:
- 5 LinkedIn posts (professional, 150 words)
- 10 Facebook posts (friendly, 100 words)
- 10 Instagram captions (casual, add emoji suggestions)
- 5 Twitter posts (punchy, under 280 characters)

Include one clear call-to-action in each post.

Tool #5: The Research Assistant (The Secret Weapon)

10-minute setup with infinite hidden value

This is the one nobody talks about. While I was floating in that therapeutic sulfur water, this tool was learning about my industry, my competitors, and my customers.

The Tool: Perplexity AI (free) or Claude/ChatGPT with web browsing

The Weekly Intelligence Gathering Prompt:

Set a weekly reminder to run this prompt:

Research these topics for my [BUSINESS TYPE] in [LOCATION]:

1. What are my top 3 competitors doing differently this week?
2. What’s the newest trend in my industry?
3. What are customers complaining about in my industry?
4. Find one successful business in another city doing something innovative I could copy
5. What’s one AI tool my industry started using this month?

Give me actionable insights, not general information. Include links to sources.

Why this matters: While you’re handling today’s problems, AI is researching tomorrow’s opportunities.

The Actual Numbers (Because Proof Matters)

During my 14 days in Greece:

• Emails answered: 73

• Appointments booked: 12

• Invoices paid: 4

• Social posts published: 0 (I turned this off - vacation is vacation)

• New leads captured: 8

• Fires that needed my attention: ZERO

• Fish that ate my dead skin: Approximately 200 (not automated, very manual)

Time spent on business: Maybe 30 minutes total (checking that everything was working). Time spent getting fish pedicures: 30 minutes (felt like hours)

Your Step-by-Step Action Plan

Don’t try to set up all 5 today. You’ll burn out. Here’s your rollout:

Today (Wednesday): Set up Tool #1 (Email Templates). Just do 5 templates to start.

Tomorrow: Set up Tool #3 (Money Tracker). You probably have unpaid invoices. Go get them.

Weekend: Set up Tool #2 (Appointments). Stop the back-and-forth texting madness.

Next Week: Add Tools #4 and #5. By then, you’ll be addicted to the time savings.

In a month: Book your own trip to Vouliagmeni Lake. Let the doctor fish feast while your AI assistant handles everything. (The water really is 75°F year-round. It’s wild.)

The Golden Nugget (Screenshot This)

“Business freedom isn’t about making millions. It’s about your business running without you for 2 weeks while Greek fish are giving you a pedicure in a thermal lake.”

Something to Ponder

If your business could run itself for 2 weeks starting tomorrow, where would you go? What would you do? Who would you spend time with?

Don’t say “someday.”

These 5 tools make it possible next month.

Hit reply and tell me which tool you’re setting up first. I read everything (yes, even from Greek thermal lakes apparently).

Full Circle Moment

Look, I know what you’re thinking: “This sounds great, Dex, but I’m not tech-savvy.”

Neither was Angelo The Greek. Dude barely texts. But he set up all 5 tools in one afternoon with his son’s help.

Or you’re thinking: “My business is different.”

Richard cuts hair. Sarah does massages. The yoga instructor from Germany bends into pretzels for a living. These tools work for EVERYONE.

The only difference between you and someone floating in a Greek thermal lake is they decided their time was worth more than their fear of trying something new.

What’s Next Week?

I’m debating creating video walkthroughs for each tool. Step-by-step. Click-by-click. So simple that your 70-year-old uncle, who still has an AOL email, could follow along. However, I have another surprise in the tuck for next week too, lol

But honestly? You don’t need to wait. Everything you need is in this email.

The question isn’t whether AI can run your business.

It’s whether you’re ready to let it.

Yamas from Chicago (missing those Greek sunsets and yes, even those fish),

Dex The Chicago AI Guy ❤️

P.S. – My wife wanted me to add: The sulfur water at Vouliagmeni Lake supposedly has healing properties. My feet haven’t been this smooth since... ever. Sometimes the weird solutions are the best ones. (Kind of like letting AI run your business while doctor fish nibble your toes in Greece.)

P.P.S. – Richard just texted me. He’s booking his own Greece trip for March. Already researching Vouliagmeni Lake. It’s infectious!

P.P.P.S. – If you’re still reading this, you’re my people. Share this with one business owner who’s drowning in busywork. They’ll thank you when they’re floating in mineral water somewhere, getting a natural fish pedicure, not checking their phone.