🔥 Email land mines: Your emails might feel polite, but phrases like “per my last email” or “thanks in advance” can make you sound like a corporate arsonist. Executive coaches say these slipups read passive-aggressive, erode trust and cost promotions. The fix? Cut the fluff, set clear asks and maybe stop accidentally weaponizing your correspondence.
Shutter showdown: Stock vs. AI photos
ID 324976990 | Ai © Svetlana Diacenco | Dreamstime.com
I love making AI-generated pics. I’ve spent hours tinkering with prompts to see what I can dream up. But here’s the big question I get from business owners: Do AI images or good old-fashioned stock photos work better in marketing? Let’s put them head-to-head.
🙋♀️ Clicks love a human face
When we compare ad performance, stock photos win out on:
- Clicks: Stock photos hit a 0.53% CTR vs. 0.49–0.52% for top AI versions.
- Conversions: Real people boost conversions by up to 45%.
- Trust: Genuine images got lower bounce rates and higher engagement.
Why the gap? Our brains know when a face looks almost real but not quite right. That’s the “uncanny valley” effect. Stock gives you the real deal.
💸 When “free” costs you
Sure, AI is a budget-friendly shortcut. But let’s break down the real costs:
- Adobe Firefly: Included with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, starting at $54.99 a month.
- ChatGPT Teams: Runs $25 to $30 a month, with limits on AI image generation.
- Midjourney: A basic plan starts at $10 a month, up to $120 a month for pro-level features.
Free-tiers only let you generate a handful of visuals each day. Not exactly unlimited creativity.
On top of that, sell-through rates favor traditional photos: 13% of stock images make at least one sale vs. 9% for AI. Those wasted impressions can cost you more than a stock photo subscription.
🛡️ Keep your brand safe
Bad visuals aren’t just awkward. They hurt your bottom line. AI-generated content can sneak in extra fingers, weird shadows, distorted text or inconsistent lighting. Not the look you want for your brand.
$1.4 million
That’s monthly profit for an 18-year-old who still lives like a frat star. Zach Yadegari launched Cal AI from his parents’ house, hired 30 staffers and now makes more in a month than most professors earn in a decade. At 18, I was debating ramen flavors. Now he’s debating multigenerational wealth tax strategies.
Running a business isn’t easy: More than 42,000 companies trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP. It brings accounting, finances, inventory and HR together in one platform. Download the FREE “CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning” today!
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Paper jammed in your printer? Open the back panel and gently pull the paper in the same direction it feeds. Pulling backward can damage the rollers.
$50,000
That’s the max cash author James Patterson is handing authors to finally hit “The End.” Some people buy yachts. Patterson funds novels. Each of the 12 authors out of hundreds of applications snagged up to $50K to finish their book, basically the literary version of a no-excuses gym membership.
Paying too much for cloud services? Check this out. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or OCI, is built for speed, power and serious savings, without the usual cloud headaches. That’s why some of the biggest AI innovators trust it. Try it for free right now.
💭 What if the fastest, most powerful cloud also cost way less? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) packs the speed, muscle and big-league savings the smartest companies swear by, minus the usual cloud drama. See what the buzz is about, and try it free today.
Accepting faxed résumés: Job hunting’s turned into a cat-and-mouse game with AI. Résumés look polished, cover letters sound the same, and employers can’t tell who’s real. So they’re ditching the bots, asking for paper résumés, surprise in-person tests and even flying people out. If you’re job hunting, showing real human effort will beat the AI polish.
Hiring? Don’t waste time on the wrong candidates. LinkedIn connects you with qualified pros fast. Right now, you can post your job for free. Tap into the world’s largest professional network and find your next great hire today!
📉 Debt end job: You ever feel like your job is draining you one unread email at a time, but you can’t leave because … bills? There’s a new term for that: “quiet cracking.” You’re not quitting. You’re just there. Fatigue, disconnection, stuck in place. A lot of folks feel the same. PSA: If work feels like it’s draining you, remember, bills need paying, but so do you. Take five. Breathe.
Add GIFs to your presentations: In Google Slides, go to Insert > Image > Stock & web. A panel will pop up on the right of your screen. Select GIFs, search for the one you want and click it. Your spicy meme will drop into the current slide, ready to resize and move wherever you want. Nice.
🆓 Feeling behind the curve? Get up to speed with NetSuite’s free guide, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” Whether you crunch numbers or run the whole show, understanding AI isn’t optional, it’s the future, and it’s already here. Grab your free guide now!
🎨 Need stunning photos? I’ve used Dreamstime for years, and for good reason. Whether you’re building a website, designing a presentation or just need the perfect pic for social media, Dreamstime has millions of royalty-free images that won’t break the bank.
Stand out on LinkedIn by posting when your audience is actually watching. Peak times are Tuesday to Thursday, 7–9 a.m. or 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Skip weekends and late nights. Use my special link to post a job for free.
Running a business is tough. Download NetSuite’s free guide, “Navigating Global Trade: Three Insights for Leaders.” It’s packed with smart, no-nonsense tips to help you keep ahead of the game, avoid costly mistakes and spot new opportunities in today’s fast-moving global market.
🚨 ICYMI: If your content isn’t showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini, you’re invisible to millions of potential customers. 👉 Read my full post here about how to fix this. Let me know what you think, or drop me a question about it in the comments.
🚨 This is important: Google Search is dead. If your content isn’t showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini, you’re invisible to millions of potential customers. Whether you run a business, blog or sell anything online, this shift changes everything. I couldn’t fit it all in this newsletter. 👉 Read my full post here. Let me know what you think, or drop me a question about it in the comments.
👉 Running a business is tough. Download NetSuite’s free guide, “Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders.” It’s packed with smart, no-nonsense tips to keep you ahead of the game, avoid costly mistakes and spot new opportunities in today’s fast-moving marketplace.
🆓 If you run a small business, grab this free guide from NetSuite, “3 Insights for Leaders.” It’s packed with smart tips to help you stay ahead, even when the rules change. Worth the download.