04/11 Retouch & Chill, How I Automate 80% of My Biz with Acuity + ChatGPT

🧠 How I Automate 80% of My Biz with Acuity + ChatGPT

I’m gonna keep it real — the only reason I’m not drowning in back-and-forths, missed bookings, and burnout is because I got systems doing half the work for me. Here’s how:

📅 Acuity: The Most Slept-On Tool in My Kit

Acuity ain’t just for booking. I turned that joint into a full-on assistant. Here's how I got it working for me:

• Text Reminders That Hit on Autopilot

  • Week Before: “Yo, you booked a session. Double check the date.”

  • Day Before: “You good? Be ready. First location coming soon.”

  • Cuts down 90% of my client anxiety & last-minute no-shows.

• Follow-Up Emails That Pull in Real Reviews

  • Automatically hits them the next day.

  • Light, thankful, and with a review link.

  • Now I’ve got real feedback to flex on my site/testimonials.

• Built-In Time Buffers

  • I add an hour between shoots so I’m not sprinting across town or stressed if someone’s late.

  • Bonus: I can upsell last-minute add-on time (+$50/$100 depending on the shoot type).

• Add-On System is Fire

  • Want an extra hour? Add it on while booking.

  • Want 2–3 hours? That’s available too.

  • It scales your session without needing a whole convo.

💡 If you use Acuity, go check “Client Text Messages” + “Follow-Up Emails” right now. If you don’t, you’re leaving money and sanity on the table.

🤖 ChatGPT & Custom GPTs = My Silent Team

I don’t just use ChatGPT — I built my own GPTs to write like me, work like me, and save me hours.

Here’s what I’ve got running:

• 📲 SLV Transcript Decoder

  • I drop in a video transcript from CapCut.

  • It spits out a polished caption in my voice.

  • Makes repurposing video into content instant.

• 📧 SLV Email Responder

  • Client inquiry? Drop the email in — it writes the whole reply.

  • I tweak, hit send, done.

  • Fast and sounds personal.

• 💥 SLV Email Marketing GPT

  • Drop in a transcript or topic — it’ll suggest content angles, email hooks, and full newsletters.

  • I use it for my Certified Shooters list and promos.

💡 If you’re not using GPTs tailored to your workflow, you’re hustling backwards. I’ll be dropping mine in the Patreon soon.

Both of these together — Acuity for client comms, GPT for content + email flow — are how I keep moving without losing my mind.

⇣ZOOM RECAP INFO⇣

🎬 Session Recap – What Went Down

A blend of personal stories, tech gems, and behind-the-scenes sauce from Retouch & Chill.

💭 Creative Work & Free Projects

• I still do free shoots if I vibe with the project.

• Not telling clients that (lol), but if I love it, I’m in — payment or not.

• Bottom line: I enjoy this work too much to gatekeep it with a price tag 24/7.

💐 Mother’s Day Storytime

• Pulled up to Madison to see the fam, dropped off flowers.

• Got roped into dog duty — shoveling poop in Chelsea boots.

• My mom roasted me for my tattoos: “You look like a coloring book.”

🎩 Certified Shooter Hat Drop

• Pre-orders are in. I’m calling the manufacturer ASAP.

• Shipping same-day or next-day once I get the inventory.

• First real product I’ve made from scratch — brims curved this time.

• Discounted pricing for Patreon exclusives.

📅 Acuity = My Automation Backbone

• Auto Text Reminders: 1 week & 1 day before sessions.

• Follow-Up Emails: Sent post-shoot to collect reviews.

• Time Buffer Between Shoots: 60 mins to prevent burnout or overlap.

• Add-On Booking System: Clients can extend shoots at checkout.

🤖 ChatGPT & My Custom GPTs

• SLV Transcript Decoder:

  • Drop in CapCut transcripts → get first-person captions/content instantly.

• Email Responder:

  • Handles client emails fast and clean with my tone baked in.

• Email Marketing GPT:

  • Generates full email campaigns from rough ideas or transcripts.

• Bonus Tip: Ask GPT how to ask things — don’t overthink the prompt.

🎨 Evoto Retouching Process

• Built my own SLV presets (for men, women, day/night).

• Adjust skin, dodge & burn, clarity, catchlights, etc.

• I use Evoto for speed — but always go back to Photoshop for:

  • Spot removal

  • Background expansion (Generative Fill)

  • Final polish (like fixing glare or weird AI glitches)

🧘🏽‍♂️ Mental Health & Burnout

• After grass season, I’m cooling off.

• Prioritizing health so I can show up long-term — not just burn bright and crash.

📉 Instagram Ban + Shadowban Drama

• IG flagged a Close Friends post + hit me with a ban till April 2026.

• Lost access to live features, branded content, and explore page visibility.

• My reach is cooked right now, but we still pushing.