Align Your True North

Brooke Elder

Are you an entrepreneur or visionary leader who refuses to choose between a successful business and a fulfilling life? Do you crave practical strategies, powerful tools, and transformative mindsets that will help you optimize your operations, scale your impact, and achieve your wildest dreams – all without sacrificing what matters most? If so, Align Your True North is the podcast for you. Each week, we dive deep into the topics that matter most to purpose-driven leaders, from automating workflows and delegating effectively to aligning with your values and being present with your family. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned pro, Align Your True North will provide you with the insights, inspiration, and actionable advice you need to build a business and life you love. Tune in and get ready to transform the way you live and lead!

  1. 9 hrs ago

    EP 234 Tired of the Zapier Bill? Build Your Own with Claude!

    You know that feeling. You're paying for Zapier every month, something quietly breaks, and an automation you forgot you even had just stops working. You poke around, you can't figure out why, and you start wondering if you need to hire someone just to keep the duct tape together. Every entrepreneur Brooke talks to has the same love-hate relationship with it. Sound familiar? In this episode, Brooke walks you through Relay: her own version of Zapier, built with Claude. She shows the exact automation that gives her Inner Circle members access inside Heartbeat the moment a tag drops in Ontraport, then opens the hood on how you can build the same kind of thing for your own business. Two programs talking to each other and doing a task, without the per-zap pricing and the mystery breakages. The best part? Because it runs straight through the API, she can actually do more than Zapier ever let her. You'll hear how the Relay kit reads every Zap you already have and rebuilds it for you, how to get Claude to walk you through any setup step by step (even the scary API bits), and the real game changer: Claude watching your automations and fixing the errors before they ever shut you down. By the end, you'll see why this might replace a whole lot more than your Zapier bill. Strategy first, AI second, every time! Takeaways: Build your own version of Zapier with Claude and stop paying per zap just to connect your favorite tools Connect tricky platforms like Ontraport and Heartbeat through the API, so you can do more than Zapier allows Let the Relay kit read every Zap you already built and rebuild it for you, connections and all Ask Claude to walk you through any setup step by step, even when an API key makes your eyes glaze over Have Claude watch your automations and fix the errors on its own before a broken workflow quietly shuts off Links referenced in this episode: Strategic AI Crew (build it with us, step by step) Companies mentioned in this episode: Zapier Claude / Claude Code Ontraport Heartbeat Make Integrately Visual Studio Code Google Calendar Jotform TidyCal Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    11 min
  2. Jun 16

    EP 233 Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail? Your AI Annual Planning Skill!

    Sound familiar? You set big goals back in January, and now it's the middle of the year and you're nowhere near where you wanted to be. Trust me, you are not alone, and it's almost never because you didn't work hard enough. It's because the plan never got broken down into something you could actually do. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is a cliché for a reason, so in this episode we fix the plan itself. I walk you through a free Claude skill for annual planning that you can grab inside our free community, the AI Ops Yacht Club. It interviews you about last year (your revenue, your wins, your misses), pulls out what to start, stop, and keep, then builds your theme for the year, your goals, your metrics and targets, and the resources you'll actually need to hit them. From there it cascades everything down into quarters and even hands you a one-page plan you can share so your whole team is rowing in the same direction. Every business needs a visionary AND an integrator, and this is how Claude can play that strategic-partner role for you. By the end you'll know how to upload and run the skill, how to feed it your existing business knowledge through a Claude project, and how to pair it with the quarterly planning skill so big goals turn into daily action. We create it on paper first, then call it into existence, eating the elephant one bite at a time. This is what working strategy first, AI second actually looks like, and it's a game-changer for visionary (and ADHD!) business owners. Takeaways: An annual plan gives you the mission, vision, and path that your quarterly plan needs to even make sense Start, Stop, Keep (straight from EOS) turns last year's wins and misses into next year's direction A real plan names the goals, metrics, targets, AND the time, money, and people each one requires Cascade the year into quarters, then into daily to-dos in ClickUp, or the goals never get done Drop your annual plan into a Claude project so every future task gets checked against your goals Links referenced in this episode: Join the AI Ops Yacht Club (free) + grab the annual planning skill Companies mentioned in this episode: Claude Claude Code Cowork ClickUp EOS AI Ops Yacht Club Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    10 min
  3. Jun 9

    EP 232 My AI Agent Blew $300 in a Day! Strategy First, AI Second

    I let an AI agent run my Facebook ads for twenty-four hours, and it spent $300 in one day instead of $50. Ouch. Here's the kicker though — the AI wasn't broken. It did exactly what I told it to do. The problem was me! I handed it a task without a strategy, and garbage came out the other side. Sound familiar? Everyone is selling you the dream of AI employees and AI agents right now, but they're showing you the hype and hiding the mess it creates on the back end. Today we're fixing that. We start with the simplest example there is: asking ChatGPT or Claude to "write me a blog post." You'll get words, punctuation, and paragraphs — but will it convert readers into paying clients? Not unless you tell it what good looks like. Then I share the story of our Amazon seller client whose sourcing agent now saves him five to six hours every single day, and the one reason it actually works: we built it on HIS years of product knowledge. That's the missing key nobody is talking about. Your agents are only as smart as the strategy and expertise you load into them. (And yes, there's a sandwich-cutting video in the YouTube version that explains this better than any lecture ever could.) By the end you'll know exactly which agent to build first — it's based on what YOU know, a process you run daily, weekly, or monthly, where you can spot what good looks like — plus the simple prompt to take into Claude to get started today. And if you want to go deeper, I'm teaching a free live training on June 18th walking you through setting all of this up step by step. The replay will be waiting if you're catching this later. Remember: it's strategy first, AI second, every time! Takeaways: AI does exactly what you tell it to do, so a task without strategy comes out as garbage (ask my ad account) Your knowledge is the missing key — agents only work as well as the expertise you build into them The best first agent automates a process you run every day and where you can spot what good looks like A new employee can read between the lines, but AI takes you 100% literally, so spell out the outcome you want AI will tell you what you want to hear, but it may not give you what you want to see Links referenced in this episode: Free Live Training (June 18): Strategy First, AI Second Companies mentioned in this episode: Claude ChatGPT Claude Code Claude Cowork Amazon Facebook Telegram Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    10 min
  4. Jun 2

    EP 231 Drowning in Sticky Notes? Your ClickUp Daily Routine!

    Picture this: your desk is a mosaic of sticky notes, your brain is still juggling yesterday's to-dos, and you're starting the day already behind. Sound familiar? Here's the secret most productivity advice skips right over — how you START your day comes down to how you ENDED the day before. Trust me, the magic isn't another app, it's a rhythm. Today I'm walking you through the exact ClickUp start-up and shut-down routine I use to turn that sticky-note chaos into a calm, you-know-exactly-what-to-do morning. Grab your favorite drink, this one's a build-along! First we tackle the sneaky productivity killer: context switching. Every time you bounce from a project to email to a Facebook ping and back, your brain pays a tax, and that flow state where your best ideas live never gets a chance to show up. So we set the foundation with the Pomodoro rhythm (50 minutes on, 10 minutes off), then jump into ClickUp and build your home base. I'll show you the My Tasks dashboard, the cards worth keeping (Recents, Agenda, My Work, Personal List), the one rule I never break — every task gets an assignee AND a due date — and my favorite trick: pinning your day's tasks to Favorites so no matter what space you're in, you always know what's on your plate. Then we button up the day. You'll learn my end-of-day routine — pushing unfinished tasks to tomorrow, clearing your desk and your brain of every lingering sticky note, and even peeking at the AI Standup that shows you everything you actually finished this week (because we're great at seeing what's left, and terrible at celebrating what's done). I'll also show you how I use a notetaker like Granola to ask, "out of all my meetings today, what do I need to add to my to-do list?" By the end you'll have a repeatable system that helps you get more done in less time, with nothing falling through the cracks. Hit play, set up your day for success, and keep thinking strategically! Takeaways: How you start your day depends on how you ended the day before, so a real shut-down routine is where the calm morning actually begins Context switching quietly steals your focus, and the Pomodoro rhythm of 50 minutes on, 10 minutes off pulls you back into flow Every task in ClickUp gets an assignee AND a due date, no exceptions, that's the rule that keeps work from slipping Pin your daily tasks to Favorites so you always see what's on your plate, no matter which space you're working in Use the AI Standup and a notetaker like Granola to capture what you finished and what still needs to land in ClickUp Links referenced in this episode: Join the Strategic AI Crew Companies mentioned in this episode: ClickUp Granola Fathom Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    13 min
  5. May 26

    EP 230 90-Day Plans That Actually Finish! Free Claude + ClickUp Skill

    It's the first week of the new quarter and your calendar is already swallowing you whole. You've heard it from every coach, every podcast, every "top business book of the year" — set quarterly priorities, build a real 90-day plan, work the plan. Sound familiar? And yet, here you are again, hoping that "kind of focusing on growth this quarter" counts as a strategy. Trust me, you're not behind, and you're definitely not lazy. You're just missing the part where someone helps you SIZE the priorities, BREAK them into weekly moves, and push them where your team will actually see them. Today I'm walking you through the free Claude skill I built that does exactly that — and I'm pairing it with ClickUp so the whole 90-day plan lives where your team already works. Grab your favorite drink, this one's a build-along! We dig into the biggest reason your past quarterly plans went sideways — sizing. Most owners pick priorities that are either WAY too big (annual goals in a quarterly wrapper) or way too small (done in two weeks, then it's just vibes until April). The skill pressure-tests each priority and gives you a verdict — green light, or push back. And yes, you can push back on Claude when you disagree, because it's a conversation, not a verdict. We walk through Start, Stop, Keep for the last quarter's review, the 13-week rule that keeps you honest about what fits, and the two ways to run the skill — straight from your Claude project knowledge base OR inside Claude Cowork pulling live from QuickBooks and Xero. Strategy first, AI second, every single time. By the end you'll know how to install the skill in Claude, how to talk it through a real plan in about two hours, and how to push the entire thing straight into ClickUp (or Notion, or Monday) with monthly milestones, weekly subtasks, an owner on every task, and a due date on every task. Because every task needs a name on it AND a date on it — that's the rule. The grab-it-now bonus? Claude starts feeling less like a tool and more like your second team member, the one who actually remembers what you said three weeks ago. Hit play, and let's build the plan that actually finishes! Takeaways: Most quarterly plans fail because priorities are wrong-sized — too big finishes nothing, too small leaves dead time after week three The 13-week rule keeps you honest about what actually fits in a quarter, no more annual goals dressed up as quarterly priorities Push back on Claude when you disagree, because the skill is built for a real conversation, not a one-shot verdict Every task needs a name on it AND a date on it, the rule that keeps quarters from quietly dying mid-March Once the plan pushes to ClickUp, Notion, or Monday, your team finally sees exactly what's supposed to happen each week of the quarter Links referenced in this episode: Grab the free Quarterly Planning Skill in the Ops Yacht ClubJoin the Strategic AI Crew Companies mentioned in this episode: Claude ClickUp Notion Monday QuickBooks Xero Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    15 min
  6. May 19

    EP 229 Stuck on Level 2? The 5 Levels of AI Every Founder Needs!

    It’s 9:45 at night, your laptop is glowing, six AI subscriptions are happily hanging out on your credit card, and the sneaking truth is that nothing in your business is actually being run by AI. Sound familiar? Trust me, you are not behind, and you are definitely not lazy. You’re just stuck on Level 2, and most founders never get past it. In this episode, I’m breaking down the five levels of AI that take you from tool collector to AI-powered agency, so you can stop tinkering and start running. Grab your favorite drink and let’s map out exactly where you are right now! We get real about Level 1, the Tool Collector — the YouTube-tutorial-watching, prompt-bookmarking, six-subscription-hoarding stage that feels like you’re getting smart but isn’t actually moving the business an inch. Then we slide into Level 2, the Copy Paster, where templates and other people’s workflows pile up on your desktop and break the moment something goes sideways. Here is the thing nobody is telling you: AI does not fix a business, AI amplifies one. If your processes are a mess at 5 people, AI just makes that mess louder at 10. I’ll show you exactly why most founders get stuck right here, and the one mindset shift that finally moves you forward. From there we head into Level 3 (Strategic Builder, where the real magic kicks in with fewer tools pointed at real bottlenecks), Level 4 (Operator, where AI runs in the background and your team thinks strategically instead of babysitting prompts), and Level 5 (the AI-Powered Agency, where you turn your operating system into a product). It’s strategy first, AI second, every single time. By the end of this one you’ll know exactly what level you’re at right now, AND the one afternoon move that gets you out of Level 2 for good! Takeaways: Level 1, the Tool Collector, feels like you’re getting smart but nothing is actually deployed in your business Level 2, the Copy Paster, is where most founders stay stuck because dashboards look full but no real work is moving AI doesn’t fix a broken business, it amplifies whatever is already there, bottleneck and all Strategic builders run with FEWER tools, not more, because each one is pointed at a real bottleneck The move out of Level 2 is not another subscription, it’s one afternoon mapping the actual shape of your business Links referenced in this episode: Join the Strategic AI Crew Companies mentioned in this episode: ChatGPT Claude Notion AI Lindy Make n8n Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    14 min
  7. 2025-11-25

    EP 228 How to Build Landing Pages Like a Boss with AI Tools

    Ready to turbocharge your landing page game? Well, buckle up, because we’re diving into some super cool tips on how to use AI to whip up landing pages that not only look slick but also convert like crazy! We’re breaking it down into three essential tools, starting with a nifty Chrome extension called Go Full Page. This little gem lets you snap a pic of any landing page you fancy—your own or your competitors’—so you can steal their best ideas (in a totally legal and ethical way, of course!). Then, we’ll stroll over to Claude, our AI buddy, who’s going to help us brainstorm and optimize our landing pages with ease. Trust me, by the end of this episode, you’ll be building landing pages faster than a caffeinated squirrel on a sugar rush! So, grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let's get this party started! Ready to turbocharge your landing page game? Buckle up, because we’re diving into a jam-packed session all about using AI to whip up those snazzy landing pages faster than you can say 'conversion rate'. We kick things off by introducing a nifty little Chrome extension called Go Full Page, which is basically like your personal paparazzi for landing pages. Snap a full-page screenshot of any web page, save it as a PDF, and voilà! You've got a treasure trove of inspiration right at your fingertips. Whether you're analyzing your own pages or gathering ideas from your competitors, this tool is a game-changer for making notes and tweaks. But wait, there’s more! We then roll into the magical realm of Claude, an AI tool that’s like having a brainstorming buddy 24/7. It helps you create or refine your landing pages by asking all the right questions—think of it as your creative wingman, nudging you to fill in the gaps and sharpen your messaging. We share tips on structuring your projects, adding files, and even how to get the most creative juice out of Claude. Plus, you’ll learn all about crafting prompts that get the best results, including how to be specific about what you need. Finally, we wrap it all up by demonstrating how to take your initial ideas and turn them into a full-blown landing page that not only looks good but converts like crazy! We’ll show you how to use the HTML that Claude generates, and how to piece it together in your favorite page builder. Just like that, you’re ready to tackle any landing page challenge thrown your way! So gear up, grab your tools, and let’s make landing pages that don’t just look pretty but also bring in the bucks! Takeaways: Building landing pages can be a breeze with AI tools, making the process super speedy and fun! The Go Full Page Chrome extension is a game-changer for capturing landing page inspiration effortlessly. Creating a dossier about your offer helps you clarify your messaging and also guides the AI in crafting a killer landing page. Using Claude, you can optimize existing landing pages by asking it to analyze and suggest improvements for better conversion rates. Links referenced in this episode: gofullpage.comclaude.aigoogle.com Companies mentioned in this episode: Go Full Page Claude Google Doc Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    15 min
  8. 2025-11-11

    EP 227 Ditch the Hourly Rate: Level Up Your Business and Your Income!

    Trying to level up your business can feel like climbing a mountain without a map, am I right? Today, we're diving into the nitty-gritty of how to package your offers so clients don’t just nod politely but say, “Heck yes, take my money!” We’re all about helping freelancers, VAs, and OBMs break free from the hourly grind and start charging what they’re truly worth—because who wants to earn less just because they’re getting better at their job? Instead of focusing on tasks, we’re flipping the script to outcomes, showing you how to create packages that deliver the results your clients crave. So grab your favorite snack, kick back, and let’s get ready to transform your offers into something that shines brighter than a disco ball at a 70s party! Imagine you're on a wild rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of running a business! Today, we’re diving into the exhilarating world of upleveling your offers. Picture this: you’re a freelancer or a virtual assistant, and you want to charge more for your services, but you’re stuck in the hourly grind, feeling like you’re running in circles. Fear not! We’re here to help you break free from the shackles of hourly billing and get paid what you’re truly worth. In this lively episode, we unpack the magic of creating packages that highlight the outcomes you deliver, rather than just the tasks you perform. Spoiler alert: business owners don’t care about the hours you clock; they want results! So, we’ll guide you through the process of crafting offers that resonate with clients and turn those 'maybes' into enthusiastic 'yeses'. Get ready to sprinkle some strategic pixie dust on your business and watch it soar! Takeaways: Upleveling your business can feel like a mountain to climb, but it’s totally doable! Raising rates and positioning offers can be tricky, but we’ve got the scoop for you! Clients want the outcome of your work, not just the hours you clock in; let's package that! Charging hourly might mean losing money as you get better at your job—what a twist! Crafting offers based on outcomes leads to happier clients and a healthier paycheck—score! Join our Strategic Operations bootcamp for insider tips on mastering your business offers! https://alignedops.com/strategic-operations Mentioned in this episode: Become a Member of the Ops Yacht Club I've created a free community where we are posting job opportunities for people just like you! Inside the community we also have trainings on how to structure your packages to better serve your clients, help with how to do discovery or strategy calls and give you ideas on where to find your next client. We'd love to have you a part of the community. You can join at www.opsyachtclub.com

    21 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Are you an entrepreneur or visionary leader who refuses to choose between a successful business and a fulfilling life? Do you crave practical strategies, powerful tools, and transformative mindsets that will help you optimize your operations, scale your impact, and achieve your wildest dreams – all without sacrificing what matters most? If so, Align Your True North is the podcast for you. Each week, we dive deep into the topics that matter most to purpose-driven leaders, from automating workflows and delegating effectively to aligning with your values and being present with your family. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned pro, Align Your True North will provide you with the insights, inspiration, and actionable advice you need to build a business and life you love. Tune in and get ready to transform the way you live and lead!