Helping you understand AI, one bedtime story at a time
Hi, I’m Julie, and I never thought I’d be writing about artificial intelligence.
I’m a nonprofit strategist, fundraiser, and leadership coach with a Ph.D. in children’s literature. I’m also a new mom to twin boys. For most of my career, I’ve been in academia or nonprofit management, and have helped mission-driven organizations raise money, build systems, and tell better stories.
But in the last few months, between diaper changes and grant deadlines, I found myself wading into the world of AI.
Not as an engineer. Not as a futurist. Just as a person trying to make sense of a rapidly changing world. Someone scared of “falling behind”, of losing work, of the unknown world my boys will grow up in. Someone who still believes in bedtime stories, in public libraries, in progressive ideals. Someone who wants to raise kind, curious boys in a world that increasingly feels like science fiction.
I looked back at my first ChatGPT prompt: it was from February 2023, asking: “Explain starting a new nonprofit, including the legal requirements in California.” Very on-brand. I used it sporadically over the next 18 months or so. But honestly? I didn’t start using AI daily until maternity leave… when I was playing around with cartoon versions of my twins.
These days, even though I’m back at work, I’m trying to carve out more time to “really learn AI.” Although, I recognize my little brother was right when he asked me, “What does that even mean? People keep saying that, like there’s a one-size-fits-all place to begin.” He’s right. You don’t need to master it all. You just need to start.
So I thought I’d share what I’m learning: the articles I’m reading, the videos I’m watching, the tools I’m testing, and the ways I’m using ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and more in real life.
This newsletter is for people like me. People who are curious but overwhelmed. Smart but not technical. People who want to understand how AI works, how it impacts the systems we care about, without jargon or judgment.
Here, I’ll be sharing my discoveries and learnings as I grow into my own AI knowledge. This will include:
Personal reflections (sure, being a twin mom comes up a lot),
Story-driven analogies (think fairy tales, children’s books, and nonprofit case studies),
Real-life use cases (how I actually use AI at work, in parenting, and everything in between),
And a recurring section called 📚 Bedtime Bytes, where I explain a key concept in the language of storytime.
I have plenty of trepidation about this brave new world, but I don’t want this space to be one of hype or fearmongering. It’s a place for thoughtful exploration. A starting point. A conversation.
So whether you’ve never used ChatGPT, or you’ve started dabbling but feel like you missed the on-ramp: welcome! You’re not behind. You’re right on time.
Let’s learn together.
💛
~ Julie
📚 Bedtime Byte: Once Upon a Tool
In a land full of laptops and old floppy disks,
Where desktops clicked softly and mainframes made lists,
A small brand-new tool sat alone on a tray,
Curious, quiet, unsure what to say.
It wasn’t a spreadsheet, or search bar, or game.
It had letters (so many!) but not quite a name.
“Am I a browser? A calculator key?”
The little tool wondered, “What am I to be?”
The others had jobs. They had rules they obeyed.
But this one just guessed what it thought should be made.
It scribbled a sentence, even helped with this rhyme,
Tried answering questions (though not perfect every time).
The servers said “Careful!”
The printers said “Please!”
“You’re making up things with surprising ease!”
It felt a bit lonely.
It felt a bit strange.
Was it broken or new?
Was it danger or change?
Then someone sat down with a wondering face
And said, “Little tool, you might help us make space:
For stories, for systems, for something brand new.
You don’t have to be them. You just have to be you.”
So the little tool learned, as all young tools do:
It mattered less what it was—more what it could do.
Before we close this first chapter, here’s your invitation to keep reading.
This is just the beginning of the story. In the posts ahead, I’ll be exploring:
How AI actually works (and why it’s different from past tech shifts)
How to talk to it in ways that feel human, helpful, and strategic
What it gets wrong, and how to know when it’s bluffing
Real tools you can use, whether you’re running a classroom, a campaign, or just trying to get through the day
If you’re curious but cautious, if you love learning through stories, if you want a space to grow your confidence without needing to “know tech,” then this series is for you.
✨ Subscribe now to follow along—you’ll get each post (and each Bedtime Byte) right in your inbox. No algorithms, no noise. Just one thoughtful step at a time.
I *do* feel like I missed the onramp. Well said. Excited to see how this project unfolds and how I can learn from your approach to AI. Thanks, Julie!