virtual assistance Archives - Denise Riches

Troubleshooting: When AI Gets It Wrong

AI can be a fantastic helper—but it’s not perfect. Sometimes it repeats itself, misunderstands what you want, or gives you outdated or just plain wrong information. That’s frustrating, especially when you’re trying to get things done quickly. The good news? There are ways to reduce these issues, troubleshoot when things go sideways, and know what to do when AI isn’t quite right.

Common AI Challenges

One big annoyance is repetition. You ask something, and the AI gives you the same idea again—sometimes just reworded, sometimes exactly the same. It can feel like talking in circles. Another common problem is when AI misses the point of what you’re asking, leading to answers that don’t quite fit your needs. And then there’s the issue of incorrect or outdated info. A perfect example? Up until very recently, AI was insisting that ‘oreo’ spelled backwards was still ‘oreo’ – and went so far as to say it was a palindrome – and it definitely is not. Apparently that’s been corrected, so you probably won’t get to witness this specific example. Finally, sometimes AI just gets things flat-out wrong, even simple stuff.

How You Can Reduce These Issues

Be clear and specific with your prompts. The more detail you give, the less room there is for misunderstanding. If your topic is complex, break it down into smaller questions instead of one big lump of info. Tell the AI exactly how you want your answer—maybe you want it short, friendly, or with bullet points. You can even ask it not to repeat itself or to check with you if it’s unsure what you mean.

Troubleshooting Tips

If the AI starts repeating or missing the mark, don’t hesitate to rephrase your question. Add more context or explain your goal again. Ask the AI to confirm what it thinks you mean; this small step can save lots of time – otherwise you’ll be going in circles. You can also ask for examples to make the results clearer.

When AI Gets It Wrong

Remember that AI isn’t a perfect source of truth. Always double-check important facts on your own. If you spot mistakes, point them out during your conversation to help guide the AI. And most importantly, treat AI as a helpful assistant—not the boss. Use your judgment alongside what it provides. It takes a little patience, but with the right prompts and a bit of back-and-forth, AI can become a trusted partner in your work.

Love the idea of using AI, but don’t have time to delve deep? I work with AI daily – let’s chat! Book a call here.

Learn to Use Advanced Prompt Techniques

Advanced AI Prompt Techniques: Getting More Precise and Useful Results

If you’ve been following my AI prompt series over the last couple of months, you can see how tweaking what you ask and paying attention to how you ask can make a world of difference in the responses you get.

Today, we’ll explore different ways of phrasing your questions so that you really maximize your results.

1. Use Iterative Prompting

Treat AI like a conversation. Instead of trying to ask everything at once, break your questions into smaller steps. Start with a general request, then build from the AI’s answers with follow-up prompts.

For example, if you’re writing a blog post, first ask for a topic outline. Once the outline looks good, request the introduction. Next, prompt for each section in turn. This method gives you control and helps you refine content gradually without overwhelming the AI.

You will likely have to tell AI to break it into steps – sometimes it gets too excited and just spills everything all at once!

2. Combine Instructions with Examples

Showing the AI what you want increases accuracy. Include a short example or sample in your prompt to demonstrate tone, style, or structure.

For example, you could say:
“Write a social media caption for a wellness coach, using a friendly tone, like this example: ‘Ready to feel your best? Let’s make wellness simple!’”

3. Use Role-Playing

Ask the AI to take on a role relevant to your task to help it respond more thoughtfully. For example:

“You’re a professional copywriter skilled in writing email newsletters.”
“Act as a marketing strategist focused on eco-friendly brands.”
“You’re a nutritionist that specializes in the keto lifestyle. Help me come up with healthy meals to help me reach my macros.”

This narrows the style and focus of your AI’s response, making it more tailored to your needs.

4. Control Output Format

Be explicit about how you want the response results. If you need bullet points, numbered lists, or a table, specify that clearly:

“List 5 benefits of meditation in bullet points.”
“Create a comparison table for these two products.”

5. Use Constraints and Limits

Guide the AI by setting length or style restrictions to avoid overly long or generic answers. For example:

“Keep the explanation under 150 words.”
“Use simple language suitable for beginners.”

By using some of these techniques, you will notice a big difference in the outcome. Experiment with them in your next session and see the difference.

Love the idea of using AI, but don’t have time to delve deep? I work with AI daily – let’s chat! Book a call here.

How to Customize AI Prompts for Better, Relevant Answers

Ever ask an AI tool for help—only to end up rewriting half the answer yourself? Chances are, your prompt could use a little customizing. Creating a one-size-fits-all question might save time, but tailoring your prompt to match your real needs almost always gets you a better, more relevant result.

Why Customizing Prompts Matters

Generic prompts get generic answers. When you’re supporting clients—as a coach, marketer, or business owner—you need responses that sound like you, fit your goals, and make sense for your audience. Here’s how to make sure your prompts deliver.

1. Know Your Goal

Start by being clear about what you want.

Are you writing a blog post, a social caption, or crafting an email?
Should the answer sound casual, professional, or maybe even a bit cheeky?
Are there any key points or requirements (like character limits or specific calls to action)?

For example:
Instead of “Write a newsletter,” try, “Write a friendly, upbeat email inviting my followers to a free online workshop—keep it under 150 words and include a clear RSVP link.”

2. Give Enough Background

AI works best when it knows the context:

Who is the audience? (e.g., female coaches, busy entrepreneurs, new authors)
What stage of the buying journey are they in? (curious, ready to buy, needing support)

A prompt like, “Write an Instagram caption promoting a new eBook for female business owners who want to grow their client base,” is far more likely to nail the tone and message than a generic “Write an Instagram caption.”

3. Highlight What Makes You Unique

If there’s a signature term, inside joke, or ethos your brand leans on—mention it up front. Even a one-sentence style note helps:

“Make it sound encouraging and down-to-earth, not salesy.”
“Sign off as Denise, your go-to Canadian VA.” (LOL!)

4. Test and Refine

Don’t expect perfection first try. A “good enough” draft is often a good starting point. It’s just like writing anything else – it’s going to require tweaking. Read what the AI gives back and ask for edits:

“Can you add a quick tip for new business owners?”
“Shorten this to fit within 100 words.”
“Use 3 bullet points instead of a paragraph.”

5. Try Templates (But Make Them Yours)

Having a few fill-in-the-blank prompt templates can save you time. Adjust each one to fit your content and audience. For example:

“Write a [format] for [audience/persona] about [topic], using a [tone/style]. Keep it under [length/limit] words.”

In a Nutshell

Customizing prompts isn’t just about getting what you want from AI—it’s about making sure your content sounds like you and truly serves your clients. Whether you’re writing blog posts, emails, or social captions, a little more up-front effort saves you editing headaches later.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

How to Ask AI the Right Way (So You Get the Answers You Really Need)

AI tools are transforming how we create content, solve problems, and make decisions. But here’s the catch: the quality of the AI’s answer depends largely on the quality of your prompt.

What is a prompt?

If you don’t use AI much right now, but are intrigued, it’s important to understand the lingo, right? A prompt is your question, it’s the starting point.

So, what makes a good AI prompt? It’s all about clarity, context, and specificity.

Clarity: Be direct and clear about what you want. Instead of saying, “Tell me about marketing,” try “Explain three effective social media marketing strategies for small businesses.” If you find that AI is giving you answers that are too technical to really grasp well, you could also add, “Please use simple and easy-to-understand terms.”

Context: Give the AI enough background to tailor the answer. For example, mention your audience or the format you need, like “Write a 400-word blog post that pertains to lifestyle coaches and why they should have a monthly newsletter.”

Specificity: The more precise your request, the better the result. Specify tone, length, or style if it matters to you. If you aren’t sure, there’s no harm in asking AI to help you with your query, and explaining that you’re not sure what you want to include, you can ask AI to ask you pointed questions to help flesh out your request, and therefore, deliver the best output.

Don’t worry if your first prompt isn’t perfect—refine it based on the AI’s response. Think of it as a conversation where each question gets you closer to what you need.

In upcoming posts, I’ll share tips on customizing prompts for different goals, troubleshooting common issues, and even how AI can support your business.

Ready to get better answers from AI? Start by asking better questions.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

Psst: Why Your VA Cannot Replace YOU on Social Media

If you’re a coach, author, or business owner who’s hired a virtual assistant (VA) to manage your social media, you’re already ahead of the game. Delegating tasks like content creation, scheduling, and graphic design frees up your time to focus on what you do best.

But here’s the tough-love truth: your VA can’t replace your voice or your presence on social media.

The Common Mistake: Disappearing Behind the Scenes

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of stepping back completely after hiring a VA. They expect their social media to run like clockwork without ever interacting with their audience, sharing personal stories, or commenting on posts. The problem? This approach leaves your audience wondering, “Who is this person? Why should I trust them?”

Social media is about connection. It’s about building relationships and trust with your ideal clients. If you’re not showing up authentically, your followers won’t truly know you-and people buy from people they know, like, and trust.

Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever

Your virtual assistant can handle the heavy lifting-writing captions, creating graphics, scheduling posts, and even engaging with comments to some extent. But no VA can replicate your unique personality, your passion, or your story. These are the elements that make your brand memorable and relatable.

When you share your personal journey, your wins and struggles, and your insights, you create emotional connections that inspire your audience to take action. This is why your presence on social media is non-negotiable.

How to Balance Delegation and Authenticity

Here’s how to get the best of both worlds:

Delegate the admin, not the YOU. Let your VA manage the logistics, but commit to showing up authentically on your platforms regularly.
Engage with your network. Comment on posts, reply to messages, and participate in conversations.
Share your story. Post behind-the-scenes moments, client wins, or lessons learned.
Go live or post videos. Video content is one of the most effective ways to build trust and showcase your personality.

The Bottom Line: People Buy From People

Your virtual assistant is your secret weapon to streamline your social media, but your presence is what builds the relationship. Don’t let your social media feel like a ghost town. Show up, be real, and watch your community-and your business-grow.

If you want help creating content or managing your social media with a perfect balance of professionalism and personality, I’m here to help! Let’s make your social media work for you-without losing the real YOU.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.

The VA Journey: From The Dark Ages to AI-Powered Efficiency

As I celebrate my 9th year in business, I’m reminded of how far virtual assistance has come. From the early days of “what’s a virtual assistant?” to now, when AI is practically running the show (just kidding, sort of), it’s been a wild ride.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore how virtual assistance has evolved over the past decade. Buckle up, folks!

Then: The Dark Ages of Virtual Assistance (2000s-2010s)

No AI, Just Me: Back in the day, I was the AI—well, minus the “artificial” part. I did everything manually, from email management to social media scheduling. It was like trying to set up a tent in the dark without a flashlight—everything is a bit of a struggle, but if you’re lucky, you’ll still manage to get the job done, even if it needs a few tweaks in the morning!

The Rise of Email Management: Remember when email was the new kid on the block? Yes, I’m sure you remember all those forwarded emails you got from friends, family members and coworkers (Hotmail or AOL anyone?)

Social Media: The Wild West: Facebook was just starting to become a thing, and Twitter was where you went to share your every thought (before realizing maybe you shouldn’t). I helped clients navigate this new frontier by hand-feeding every individual post to Buffer or Hootsuite. I wouldn’t waste time or money on a non-evergreen scheduler these days!

Now: The AI-Powered Virtual Assistant (2020s)

AI to the Rescue: Fast-forward to today, and AI is my new best friend. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI help me generate content, suggest hashtags, and even draft emails faster than you can say “AI for beginners.”

Social Media on Steroids: Now, social media is a beast that needs constant feeding. AI helps me create engaging posts, automate scheduling, and analyze performance so my clients can focus on what matters—growing their business.

From Tasks to Strategy: Virtual assistants aren’t just task-doers anymore; we’re strategic partners. We help businesses scale by streamlining operations, managing workflows, and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

The Future: What’s Next for Virtual Assistance?

As we look ahead, it’s clear that AI will continue to play a bigger role in virtual assistance. But here’s the thing: while AI can automate tasks, it can’t replace the human touch. That’s where I come in—ensuring that every interaction, every post, and every email feels personal and authentic.

Celebrating 9 Years of Virtual Assistance

So, what does it mean to be a virtual assistant in 2025? It means being adaptable, tech-savvy, and always ready to learn. It means using AI not just to save time but to enhance the work we do. And most importantly, it means being part of a community that supports each other every step of the way.

If you’re a business owner looking to scale without losing your mind, let’s chat! I’d love to show you how virtual assistance can transform your operations and free up time for what truly matters.

Ready to work together? Let’s chat about your admin needs! Book a call here.