How I’m Using AI to Coach, Prototype, and Automate — With a Few LOLs Along the Way

Hi again, this is G — builder, bread-seller, blog-rebooter, and now apparently... a Mexican-sounding AI avatar? 😂

Grabe, today was one of those days that make you go: “Wait, paano nangyari lahat 'to in one day?” Alam mo 'yung feeling na sunod-sunod ang events pero may sense of alignment? Ganun siya. From coaching SMEs, to laughing at my own AI twin, to getting a random gig invite for hosting a drone race — the day was packed but meaningful. May mix of impact, comedy, and build energy.

There was a lot of context switching, yes. But surprisingly, walang burnout. It felt like each piece was part of a whole — whether I was helping a friend launch a new fantasy biz, or tweaking my automation to stop burning a hole in my wallet. Even the laugh trip with HeyGen had lessons buried in the hilarity.

I guess that’s what happens when you move with systems and not just with hustle. The chaos becomes choreography.

Let’s unpack this day of wild variety, shall we? Tara, sabay tayo magkwento.

Coaching Filipino Entrepreneurs via DTI + Go Negosyo

We kicked off the KMME (Kapatid Mentor Me) Program, a nationwide initiative that connects experienced mentors with MSMEs to strengthen their growth plans. This one’s in partnership with the DTI and Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship – Go Negosyo. I was asked to mentor six inspiring business owners from Region 1 and Region 10 (Misamis Occidental). Our task? Help them refine their Business Improvement Plans (BIP) — a roadmap to scale or strengthen their business over the next 6–12 months.

Today was Day 1 of their draft presentations — and wow, sobrang inspiring. You could feel the grit, the hope, and the "bahala na, laban lang" mindset in every single pitch. These weren’t just strategic plans — they were survival strategies, family dreams, and quiet battles for relevance and resilience.

Real talk: it reminded me how powerful it is to share not just frameworks, but also permission. Minsan, hindi nila kailangan ng bagong idea — kailangan lang nila ng tao na magsasabi, "Tama ang ginagawa mo. Worth it 'yan." Nakakataba rin ng puso to be part of that journey, kahit sandali lang. Kahit isang slide lang na na-improve — it can unlock months of progress for them.

I'm excited for the next sessions. Masaya siyang gawin. Meaningful. And sobrang reminder na kahit super deep ako sa AI world now, coaching real humans solving real problems still hits different.

Meet G... With a Mexican Accent (My First HeyGen AI Avatar)

I finally created my first AI avatar using HeyGen today, and wow — it was a hilarious start.

The result? A laugh trip.

Apparently, my AI self sounded like a full-on Mexican telenovela character. 🤣 I’m Filipino through and through, so hearing my clone say “Hola” with dramatic flair made me choke on my coffee. As in legit pang soap opera level ang dating. I had to pause the video just to recover from laughing.

But underneath the comedy, there’s actual magic. This tool lets me turn scripts and blog posts into videos without needing to get on camera every day. Imagine writing a quick post and having a digital version of yourself say it for you — wild di ba? That’s productivity, even if medyo funny pa sa umpisa.

The voice still needs work — and I clearly need to review the voice model settings (definitely not choosing "Novela Mode" again 😂). But the potential is undeniable. Especially for days when I just want to publish something informative without doing a full shoot.

I’ll post a snippet soon. Prepare to laugh. Medyo nakakahiya pero sobrang aliw. Seryoso, parang ako pero hindi ako. Galing ng tech — pero next time, less sombrero energy please. 🤦‍♂️

🍽️ MVP Case Study: AI-Powered Restaurant Reservation Bot

A private dining restaurant reached out for help building a better reservation system. They were frustrated — manually jotting down bookings on paper, dealing with missed calls, and occasionally overbooking tables. Instead of offering them a generic chatbot, I proposed building an AI-powered booking assistant — one that can:

• Handle booking requests via chat
• Auto-confirm based on availability
• Log customer preferences (e.g., vegetarian, outdoor table)
• Integrate basic analytics to show peak times or recurring guests

We’re meeting next week for inputs, but I’m planning to create an MVP over the weekend — parang version 0.5 lang to show proof of function. Hindi fancy UI, just solid flow and logic. This could be a solid case study for small restos across the Philippines — especially those who want better systems but don’t have full POS infrastructure.

If this works, it opens doors for small F&B businesses to get AI-enhanced service without paying for bloated software they don’t need. Imagine kaunting setup lang, tapos may smart bot ka na that actually helps you run your resto more smoothly.

This is what I love: building scrappy systems that create peace. Parang mini-assistant na hindi mo kailangang i-train araw-araw. Sulit sa effort, hindi magastos, at scalable pa rin.

Hosting Again?! Drone Racing Gig Incoming

Got asked to host a drone race event mid-year — and honestly? I’m excited.

It’s been a while since I did live events, and this one feels like a fun return to that side of me. Hosting allows me to tap into my energy, bring people together, and travel again (yes please!). I miss the stage energy, the banter, the spontaneous crowd interactions — and this one? With drones? It’s next-level fun.

Drone races are wild — high speed, high stakes, high energy. The crowd gets so into it. Seryoso, ang intense ng vibe. And there's something thrilling about being the voice that guides everyone through the action. Nakakatuwang i-hype ang bawat crash or perfect turn.

Plus, it's a good change of pace from the usual backend-heavy, automation-focused days. Sometimes, the best recharge is engaging with people in real time — bringing value not through code, but through presence.

It’s going to be lit. Let’s gooo.

Helping a Friend Launch a Fantasy-Themed 3D Printing Biz

One of my closest friends is building a custom 3D printing business for fantasy props and collectibles — think swords, helmets, staffs, and maybe even a life-sized dragon head someday. Sobrang cool ng concept nila. It’s like Dungeons & Dragons meets industrial design.

I offered to help them create a landing page — something clean, scrollable, and conversion-friendly. But more than that, we talked about strategy: why they should explore TikTok Shop and Live selling — especially with a Build in Public approach. Hindi enough na ipakita lang yung final product — people want to see the crafting, the sanding, the painting, the "oops nasira ‘to but I fixed it" moments. That’s the kind of storytelling that fantasy geeks love.

Imagine crafting a sword while streaming, answering geeky questions like "What lore inspired this blade?" then casually dropping, “Available now on TikTok.” Ang ganda ng vibe, di ba?

Niche audiences are powerful when you share your build, not just your sell. Lalo na kung passionate ang market mo — fantasy fans go hard! The more you show your creative process, the more they root for you. And that’s how community becomes customers.

Oops — Daily Journal Bot Was Too Expensive to Run 😂

Another funny fail: I had to rebuild my daily journal posting automation because the cost-per-run was 🤯. Akala ko tipid na 'to kasi automated, pero nope — sa sobrang dali ng process, napadalas ang trigger. LOL.

Apparently, generating image content at high frequency adds up fast. I thought I was just running a clean and lean system, pero when I checked the logs and the billing... ayun, nashookt ako sa gastos. And the image prompts? Let’s just say they were... lame. (Sorry, AI. But no one’s inspired by a blurry keyboard and weird hands.) Parang gawa ng pre-schooler na AI.

So now I’m reworking the prompt system, refining the language to get better image output, and optimizing flow to avoid over-triggers. Also considering switching image models or reducing frequency depending on the platform. Sayang kasi kung sunod-sunod ang runs pero walang quality output.

The lesson? Even automation needs budgeting. Hindi porket automated, tipid na — lalo na kung daily. Scale mo muna yung logic bago mo i-scale yung execution. Kaya ngayon, version 2.0 coming in hot — more efficient, smarter, at hopefully less gastos.

Intrapreneurship Workshop with PH’s Top Corporates

Tomorrow, I’ll help facilitate an intrapreneurship program at Ayala HQ involving some of the Philippines’ top companies — including BPI, PLDT, SMDC, Converge, and more. These are the companies that shape industries, employ thousands, and affect ecosystems beyond the boardroom. Being part of a program like this feels like you’re contributing at a macro level — where even a small innovation can ripple through entire departments, communities, and possibly the entire supply chain.

The twist? It’s all about sustainability and SDG innovation. Participants will be challenged to build new products or services using the waste outputs of their companies. As in literal basura — reimagined as raw material for value creation. It’s not entrepreneurship from scratch — it’s intrapreneurship from within. Kaya ibang klaseng mindset ang kailangan dito. You’re building not from freedom, but from constraint. And that’s where real creativity shines.

We’ll use rapid prototyping, design thinking, and systems mapping. And I’m excited because I get to apply my builder brain in a corporate setting that’s not about selling more — but about solving better. We don’t often associate large corporations with nimbleness or purpose-driven pivots, so to be part of a program that merges innovation with impact? Big yes.

This is my jam: blending business, purpose, and design thinking into real-world challenges. Seryoso, ang saya nito. Solutions that help both planet and profit. Plus, being in rooms with these decision-makers also lets me understand what big players are trying to solve — and how us indie builders can help.

Corporate innovation meets quiet builders. Game on. G na G ako dito. Let’s see what basura-born ideas we get to shape into brilliance.

Final Reflection: Systems Are the Real Hustle

I’m not tired. But I am reflective.

Today wasn’t overwhelming — it was proof that when you layer your time with clarity, it multiplies. The funny AI fails, the journal bots breaking, the coaching, the building, the invitations — it’s all connected by systems.

Not the flashy kind. Just the kind that keep showing up with you. Parang sidekick mo na tahimik pero reliable.

If you’re building too — with laughter, mistakes, and some strategy sprinkled in — I’d love to hear what’s working for you.

Till the next log,

– G