In 2023, I made a gamble that paid off beyond expectations: a $10,000 investment in AI education, a decision that reshaped my career and business strategy. Despite my background in accounting and business, diving into AI and machine learning it was uncharted territory. But before we dive into the impact of this decision, here's one a little history about me and some of what i did in 2023.

One thing I want to emphasize to those who read this article is that you do not need to go to school artificial intelligence, machine learning or data science to be really great at using it. Of course, having a formal background will never hurt, but it shouldn't stop people who are interested in the field from exploring it. I can attest to my statement because I went to school for a BS in accounting and an MA in business administration, got a CPA license in New York State, and then guided my career through self-learning business intelligence and AI/ML data science consulting–building a business securing over 135 clients in less than three years from scratch – some of which include clients such as Microsoft, Tory Burch, the US Army, Danaher, and more.

Why am I saying all this?

Well, on November 30, 2022, I met ChatGPT3 for the first time, but I was just another end user. I wasn't yet this AI subject matter expert or teacher who could break down concepts for people and develop business strategies for implementing AI. I was just present for the initial debut of the Big Language Patterns technology era and I cared enough to want to know more because it was at this point that I knew this technology would change the world forever.

My mind began to think how Generative AI it would disrupt many career paths, but it would also create an abundance of opportunities for individuals and companies that know how to use it effectively. Immediately, I started looking online for courses I could learn about generative AI and unfortunately, at the time, there weren't any, but I didn't let that stop me. I just started with understanding the basics of AI/ML, even without the deep learning or generative component and signed up for two certificate programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where one focused on building data science solutions using machine learning and AI. The other focused on building AI products and services and putting them into production.

In addition, I took several courses Udemy that focused on how to use the OpenAI APIs and taught important instant engineering techniques such as the COSTAR framework. Recently, I've invested in some subscriptions to AI tools like Midjourney via Discord and others, which allow me to join a network of other creators who want to use this technology. I joined many online networking groups across various platforms, which enabled me to absorb information and updates at a much faster rate than any media. In total, all of this education added up to nearly $10,000, but it was an investment that was 100% worth it. Here are three main reasons why:

1. Network expansion

During my reinvestment phase in education, I identified my AI networks for updates and brainstorming. This serves as an incredible resource, especially since the pool of individuals within these networks is so diverse, representing companies, products, and services in various industries. This network has led to additional referrals and opportunities to expand business and collaborate with others on projects in an informal setting. As a result of this network, I built an active Discord community and LinkedIn group of IT AI/ML professionals in various industries with over 400 professionals and have collaborated with some of them on several innovative AI projects.

2. New service lines

Once I really started to understand and see how generative AI worked and what skills people and businesses lacked to effectively deploy solutions and strategies of this nature, I was able to build a team within my business that understands the market need for companies looking to adopt generative AI solutions. This decision enabled me to open additional service lines within my business, bringing additional value to our existing client base and referral partnerships and gaining new business in markets that previously did not exist. For example, I started offering enterprise playbooks on Copilot's deployment strategy, as well as training and education for SMBs on agile engineering, doing company-specific webinars tailored to their business needs.

Connected: I've tested the AI ​​tools so you don't have to. Here's what worked—and what didn't.

3) Now an official paid AI speaker

Some say it would be their dream to get paid SPEAK. It is an amazing thing for me to be able to say that I am a paid speaker for foundations, SMB organizations, women's entrepreneurial groups and other networks at a rate of $5,000 per gig. It was because of my reinvested education, along with customer experience in this space, that I could present my understanding and knowledge of any genAI project I worked on or a concept I strongly understood in a completely seamless flow. cloud of income that I had not yet considered before. I remember my first paid event – it was a webinar for over 70 SMB owners and I had the pleasure of sharing broadly the impacts of AI across businesses and industries, giving them many ways to consider the impacts of the technology and how can relate to their daily lives. My goal was to give them as much value as possible and based on the responses and feedback, that goal was achieved.

This journey taught me the value of constantly learning and adapting in the rapidly evolving world of AI, and for those reading this, your next game-changing business strategy may just be a learning experience away.

My motto is and always will be simple: If you're going to do something you believe in, why not go all out?