Why I Ditched GHL Communities (For Now) — and How Hormozi Made Skool Unstoppable

Alright, let’s clear the air before anybody starts clutching their pearls – I’m not a traitor. (Cue dramatic music.)

But yes, we officially moved the Automated Marketer community from our old Facebook group over to Skool. And honestly? I gotta say... it’s been chef’s kiss good.

Now, I know a bunch of you asked, “Nuno, why didn’t you just use HighLevel Communities?”
Valid question. Here’s the deal:

Alex Hormozi broke the internet.
When Hormozi bought into Skool, it exploded. Suddenly everyone and their grandma was hanging out over there. And when it comes to a community, where the people are is a huge deal. No people, no party. Simple.

But that wasn’t the only reason:

• The mobile app is actually GOOD. Like, you don’t feel like throwing your phone across the room good.

• Reward system is CLEAN. You do cool stuff, you get points, you feel good about your life. Gamified and smooth.

• Broadcast chat messages. Need to tell everyone something fast? Done. (Try that easily anywhere else, I dare you.)

• Email deliverability. Yeah, emails actually LAND. Remember when that used to happen??

• Courses and content. Not Netflix-level, but definitely not VHS-tape-in-your-basement level either. Solid experience.

Now to be fair: GHL Communities are getting better every month. I see it, I appreciate it, I root for it. But if I’m being 100% with you?
When it comes to building massive engagement right now, Skool just feels right. Like wearing the right sneakers for the first time and realizing you’ve been walking weird your whole life.

And guess what? If somehow GHL catches up and dominates the community game, switching back is easy. No drama. No ceremony. Just a few clicks and we’re home.

So no, I’m not abandoning ship. I’m exploring. Testing. Reporting back like your favorite marketing scout. 🧢 (No cap.)

And right now? The report says:
👉 Get off the sidelines and get in here with me: https://www.skool.com/automatedmarketer

Stop diddling around. I saved you a seat.

I Quit My 9-5 After 25 Years - Here's Exactly How I Did It (And How You Can Too)

This one’s personal.

After 25 years in corporate America — a mortgage, three kids, endless commutes, and more “is this really my life?” moments than I care to count — I finally walked away from the 9-5 grind.

And I want to show you exactly how I did it — step-by-step — so you don’t have to waste years figuring it out the hard way like I did.

When I started, there was no magic. No secret formula. Just late nights, early mornings, and a very real fire to build something better.

Here’s the exact roadmap I followed:

• Step 1: Start Small and Scrappy
  I didn’t wait for the perfect moment. I started while still working full-time. Nights, weekends, whatever gaps I could find.
  I took on any extra work I could find: fixing phones, running wires, basic computer repairs. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave me breathing room — and momentum.

• Step 2: Build a Skill You Can Scale
  Hustling side gigs was fine, but I knew it wouldn’t get me free long-term.
  That’s when I taught myself how to build websites. I started by doing small free projects to practice, then slowly moved into paid work.
  Websites gave me something powerful: a service I could do from home, on my own time, without burning myself out physically.

• Step 3: Leverage the Right Tech (Early)
  Once I got a few sites under my belt, I found a real cheat code: marketing tech.
  Platforms like HighLevel let me offer services that businesses desperately needed — things like review generation, social media management, chatbots, and SEO-driven websites — without having to manually reinvent the wheel every time.
  Suddenly, I could do in a few hours what used to take days.

• Step 4: Focus Only on What Businesses Actually Need
  I didn’t waste time chasing trends. I stuck to simple, high-demand services:

  • Helping businesses get more Google reviews (still huge today)

  • Managing their social media accounts (because most owners hate it)

  • Building clean, lead-capturing websites

  • Later, setting up white-labeled SaaS platforms for recurring monthly income
    These services weren’t just “nice to have” — they solved real, urgent problems.

• Step 5: Sell the Easiest Way Possible
  No complicated funnels. No $5K masterminds.
  I literally made a simple QR code, put it in a plexiglass stand, and walked into local businesses offering to help them get reviews.
  If they said yes, great. If not, no big deal — I moved on.
  The key? I led with real value, not a hard pitch.

• Step 6: Master My Time (Because It Was My Biggest Asset)

  • Up at 5 AM to get a jump on the day.

  • Audiobooks during my brutal commute.

  • Client work or cold outreach on lunch breaks.

  • Family time after work.

  • Hustle mode from 9 PM to 11 PM.
    I treated every free hour like it mattered — because it did.

💡Pro Tip:
Pick ONE service. Land ONE client. Then build momentum from there. You don’t need a perfect plan — you need action.

👉 If you’re serious about changing your life, go watch the full video above

In it, I break down everything even deeper — how I made the leap, the mistakes I made, and exactly how you can do it too.
Whether you want to build a side hustle that brings in an extra $2K–$5K a month…
Or you’re serious about replacing your full-time job and building your own freedom…

You can absolutely do this.

You don’t need a fancy degree.
You don’t need a million-dollar idea.
You just need to start. Small, scrappy, and focused.

Nobody’s going to build the life you want for you.
You have to build it yourself.
And if a regular guy like me — three kids, mortgage, crazy schedule — could figure it out…

You can too.

AI Builds Corner: Build Your Own MCP Server (And Why You Should)

This week’s AI build has me extra fired up — because honestly, this one changes the game if you're serious about building your own AI stack.

If you’ve ever felt weird about trusting random third-party servers with your data, or you've hit a wall trying to connect AI agents directly to your tools, this update is for you.

Here’s the quick story:

• MCPs (Multi-Command Protocols) are like the USB ports for AI.
  They let your AI connect directly to apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and way beyond.

• Problem was, most of us were connecting to shady, third-party MCP servers we didn’t control.
  Translation: Your data was floating around who-knows-where.

• Solution: Now you can build your own private MCP server using either:

  • N8N (a no-code automation tool), or

  • Zapier (yes, the same tool you already know and love).

And setting it up?
Way easier than it sounds — even if you’re not a coder (trust me, I’m learning all this alongside you).

How You Build It:

Option 1: Using N8N

• Update to the Beta version inside N8N (important — that’s where MCP lives now).

• Create a new project.

• Set up an MCP trigger inside your workflow.

• Add tools (like Gmail, Docs, Sheets) and configure them with simple settings.

• Save your project and grab your server URL.

• Connect it manually inside your Claude Desktop app config file.

Option 2: Using Zapier

• Go to zapier.com/mcp (paid plan required).

• Create a set of actions (example: Create a Google Sheet, Send an Email, etc.).

• Get your Zapier MCP URL.

• Update your Claude Desktop config to include your Zapier server.

Pro Tip:
If you’re not sure how to edit the config file, just use Claude or ChatGPT to help you add your server code safely — they’ll walk you through it.

Why This Is Huge:

• You control your data. No more shady servers.

• You connect to 6,000+ apps via Zapier — securely.

• You can build custom AI agents that run on YOUR terms — sending emails, creating docs, managing calendars, pulling in CRM data, and more.

• You can scale from simple side hustles to full-blown AI-powered businesses.

If you’re building agents, automating workflows, or just want to stop relying on public servers, this is your chance to get ahead of the curve.

Seriously — go watch the full video [insert link to video] and build along with it.
This is the kind of setup that can unlock a real AI-driven side hustle... or even help you fully walk away from your 9-to-5 if that’s your goal.

And don’t worry if you’re not a hardcore developer.
This is about understanding the tools and taking action, not writing 10,000 lines of code.

AI Update: Huge Updates You Need to Know (And Why This is a Big Deal for You)

Alright, you know me — I’m all about keeping it real.
This week in AI? Some serious game-changing moves you need to know about.
Here’s what’s going down and why it actually matters:

• OpenAI’s Deep Research is Now (Sort of) Free
  Deep Research — basically turbocharged web searching — is now available even on free plans.
  You get five uses a month if you’re on the free plan. Plus, they’re rolling out a lightweight version to keep things fast for everyone.
  Translation: Whether you’re brainstorming offers, building side hustles, or hunting for leads, this gives you a serious edge without needing to spend anything extra.

• A New Open-Source OpenAI Model Is Coming
  OpenAI is about to release a local model you can run directly on your machine. No cloud, no API walls.
  They’re claiming it will outperform Meta’s open models and others.
  Translation: You will soon be able to run high-powered AI locally, keeping your work private and under your control.

• Perplexity’s AI Assistant Just Got a Major Upgrade
  Think of it like Siri, but actually useful.

  • Book rides

  • Draft emails

  • Play podcasts

  • Manage your schedule
    Some features are still a little rough, but it is already clear where this is headed.

• Microsoft is Building a Full Agent Marketplace Inside Copilot
  Microsoft 365 Copilot is rolling out new agents specialized in research, analysis, project management and more.
  Plus, a marketplace where you can add even more integrations.
  If you run a business or manage any kind of team, these tools are about to make your life a whole lot easier.

• XAI’s Grok Now Has Vision Capabilities
  Grok can now interpret images, giving it an edge in real-world tasks.
  This matters if you do anything visual — like website builds, branding, or product design — because your AI can now literally "see" what you’re working on.

• Real Local AI is Finally Here

  • Ray-Ban Meta glasses now live-translate conversations directly into your ear, even offline.

  • Microsoft’s Recall feature lets you rewind your entire computer’s activity, with your data staying local and private.
    These types of tools are the beginning of real independence from cloud services, and they are going to change how mobile entrepreneurs work.

• Video AI is Becoming a No-Brainer

  • LTX Studio now integrates Google's V2 video model, making it far cheaper and faster to create high-quality videos.

  • Descript is testing a full chat-driven video editor. You literally type commands like "trim this down" or "add some stock video" and it does it.
    If you are creating content, this shift makes professional-grade video production easier than ever.

• AI Branding and Avatars Are About to Take Over
  New tools are letting brands create AI avatars that can physically hold real products and talk about them.
  This isn’t science fiction. It is happening now and small businesses can jump on it before big brands fully flood the space.

💡 Pro Tip:
AI is not just for tech companies anymore.
If you are serious about building a side hustle, scaling a small business, or just getting more done, these tools are already available to you.

The ones who move first are going to have a serious advantage over everyone else still trying to figure it out six months from now.

If you want the full breakdown, make sure you watch the full video [insert link here].
Even if you are just getting started, this will give you a massive head start.

The future is already here. You are either building with it, or you are getting left behind.

And personally, I know exactly which side of that I want to be on.

How to Win Without Fighting: Jason Fladlien’s Blueprint for Market Domination

Alright, so you guys know I only bring you the good stuff, right?
Well, this one’s next-level.

Jason Fladlien — the dude who literally wrote the Hormozi webinar (you know, the one that changed the whole internet) — just dropped pure gold on a podcast episode. Jason’s not just smart; he’s scary smart. Like "could run circles around 99% of marketers while blindfolded" smart.

If you ever wondered how to dominate a market without getting crushed by competition, Jason lays it out with so much clarity, it almost feels unfair.

A few gems he dropped:

• Don’t compete. Create a new sub-market inside an existing one and own it.

• Be the #1 player. First mover = default king. (Way easier than fighting your way up.)

• Use leverage. Find places where people are settling for crap... and show up better.

• Innovation means being unpopular first. If you’re doing it right, you’ll be weird before you’re brilliant.

• Frame control > Content. How you say it matters as much (or more) than what you say.

He also talked about his background as a freestyle rapper (yep, you read that right) — and how it made him a killer copywriter and strategist. Honestly, it’s one of the best podcast interviews I’ve heard this year, hands down.

If you’re serious about leveling up—whether in marketing, business, or just playing the game of life smarter—Jason’s insights are pure gold. It's not every day you get to learn from the guy who wrote the webinar playbook for some of the biggest names in the industry. Highly recommend checking out the full episode if you want your brain stretched in all the right ways.

💲Deals at a Glance

Join Our Free Skool Community and Course
Build your agency or side hustle with HighLevel, n8n, AI & Automation. Your path to quitting the 9-5 starts here.
https://www.skool.com/automatedmarketer

Marketing Tech Certification Program
Domain Certification – Master Domain Management with confidence.
https://marketingtechprofessionals.com/domaincert

Google WorkSpace Specialist Certification
Master the platform that powers over 3 billion users.
https://marketingtechprofessionals.com/googlespecialist

HighLevel Affiliate Offer
Best Affiliate Offer On The Planet.
https://live.automatedmarketer.net/automated-marketer-ghl

Marketing Tech Professionals Ready For Hire
MarTech professionals trained by me, ready to join your team for any marketing technology needs.
https://arcytex.com/

VIP Office Hours
For those who just want simple questions answered by real knowledgeable human beings. Join our group office hours 4 days a week.
https://live.automatedmarketer.net/vipaccess

Remember, there’s always something new coming from the Automated Marketer YouTube Channel—new content drops every Tuesday & Thursday. Subscribe so you never miss the next big idea.

Keep watching, keep learning, and keep moving forward!!