If you walked into my bakery early on a Tuesday morning, you’d find me covered in flour. There’s something timeless about baking—the smell of the yeast, the feel of the dough, the heat of the oven. It’s a craft that hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years. You have to be patient, you have to follow a process, and you have to care about the results.
But as soon as the last loaf is out and the shop is quiet, I wash the flour off my hands and head to my computer. That’s where my other passion lives: the “big wide web.”
I’m 60 years old now. I’ve spent more than 40 years with my wonderful wife, raised six kids, and now I’m lucky enough to have nine grandkids running around. For the last decade, I’ve been building my online business, researching marketing models, and writing on my blog.
Lately, though, I’ve been spending a lot of time with a new “friend”: Artificial Intelligence.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Steven, isn’t AI for the kids? Isn’t it a bit… robotic?” I used to wonder the same thing. But after spending my life watching technology evolve, I’ve realized that AI is actually the most “human” tool I’ve ever used.
Let me tell you why this 60-year-old baker is all-in on AI, and why I think it’s the best thing to happen to online marketing in years.
1. A Lifelong Love Affair with “Beeping” Boxes
To understand why I’m so excited about AI today, you have to realize that I’ve been a “tech nerd” since long before it was cool.
Back in high school, my first encounter with technology was a Canola 1614p. If you’re around my age, you might remember those—it was basically a giant, programmable calculator that felt like it belonged on a spaceship. From there, I was hooked.
I spent my afternoons at the local Tandy store, hovering over the TRS-80. I loved it so much that I think the store manager eventually just considered me part of the furniture. I worked my way through the classics: the Commodore 64, the C-16, the C-128, and my personal favorite, the Amiga. I even ran a BBS (Bulletin Board System) in the early 90s, back when “going online” meant hearing a series of screeches and hisses from your modem.
I’ve always loved taking PCs apart to see how they tick. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing how the machine works under the hood. But more than that, I’ve always been a researcher. I love soaking up knowledge.
When I started my online marketing journey about 10 years ago, I realized that the internet was just a giant library. But as any librarian will tell you, the problem isn’t finding information—it’s finding the right information without getting lost in the stacks.
2. When the Baker Met the Bot
As a baker, I know that if I want to make 500 loaves of bread by hand, I’m going to be exhausted. But if I have a high-quality mixer, I can do more, stay fresher, and focus on the creative side of the recipes.
That’s exactly what AI is for my online marketing. It’s my “digital mixer.”
For a long time, I felt a bit overwhelmed. Between my family, my job at the bakery, and my blog, there simply weren’t enough hours in the day. I wanted to write more, help more people, and grow my affiliate marketing business, but I was hitting a wall.
Then, I started playing with AI tools like ChatGPT.
At first, I was skeptical. I thought it would produce cold, boring text that sounded like a VCR manual. But the more I “talked” to it, the more I realized it wasn’t just a machine—it was a partner. It helped me brainstorm ideas when I was tired after a long shift. It helped me organize my thoughts when my brain felt like a jumbled mess of flour and SEO keywords.
3. The “Scary” AI Myth (and Why It’s Wrong)
There’s a lot of talk in the news about AI being “scary” or “taking over.” And sure, any new technology is a bit intimidating at first. But remember when people were afraid of the internet? Or when people thought “the cloud” was going to lose all our photos?
AI isn’t a sci-fi movie monster. It’s just a tool that is very good at patterns.
Think of it like this: AI has read almost everything ever written. When you ask it a question, it’s not “thinking” in the human sense—it’s looking through its massive library to find the most helpful answer for you.
As a 60-year-old, I find it incredibly refreshing. It doesn’t care that I didn’t grow up with TikTok. It doesn’t judge me if I ask a “simple” question. It’s there to help, 24/7, and it never gets tired of my curiosity.
4. How AI Makes My Marketing More “Friendly”
You might think that using AI would make a blog feel less personal. But for me, it’s done the exact opposite. Because AI handles the tedious, technical stuff, I have more energy to be me.
Here are a few ways AI has been a “friendly assistant” in my business:
A. The “Blank Page” Helper
We’ve all been there. You sit down to write a blog post, and the cursor just blinks at you. It’s mocking you. With AI, I don’t start with a blank page anymore. I’ll say, “Hey, I want to write a post about the pros and cons of affiliate marketing. Can you help me come up with five interesting headings?” Suddenly, I have a structure. I still write the content, but the “starting” part—the hardest part—is done.
B. Making Complex Things Simple
Sometimes, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) feels like a foreign language. I’ll come across a technical term that sounds like gibberish. I can ask the AI, “Explain ‘canonical tags’ to me as if I’m a baker.” And it might say, “It’s like putting a label on your best loaf of bread so the customers know it’s the original, not a copy.” Suddenly, it clicks!
C. Personalizing My Emails
I love staying in touch with my readers. But sometimes, writing an email can feel stiff. I use AI to help me “soften” my writing. I’ll write a draft, and then ask, “Does this sound friendly and helpful, or does it sound too much like a sales pitch?” It helps me keep my voice warm and approachable.
5. Technology: Keeping the Family Close
One of the biggest reasons I love technology—and why I’m not afraid of AI—is what it does for my family.
My wife and I have been together for over 40 years. We have six kids and nine grandkids, and they’re starting to spread out. In the “old days,” we’d have to wait for a phone call or a letter. Now? We’re constantly connected.
In fact, it’s a bit of a running joke in our house: my wife and I will often message each other on Facebook while we’re in different rooms! It’s not that we’re lazy; it’s just that technology has become a natural way for us to say, “Hey, I love you,” or “Is the tea ready?”
AI is just the next step in that connection. It helps me manage my business faster so I can spend more time playing with the grandkids. It helps me stay relevant in a world that moves fast, so I can show my kids that “Grandpa” still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
6. Why Being 60 is an “AI Superpower”
Here’s a secret I’ve discovered: AI is only as good as the person using it.
The kids might be faster at typing or using apps, but we—the 60+ crowd—have something they don’t: Context.
We’ve lived through different economies. We’ve seen how people talk, how they shop, and what they care about over decades. We have “life experience.” When I use AI, I don’t just take what it gives me and hit “publish.” I use my 60 years of judgment to say, “That’s not quite right,” or “Let’s add a story about the time I worked at the Tandy store to make this more relatable.”
Being 60 means you have a “BS detector” that has been fine-tuned for half a century. That makes you the perfect “boss” for an AI assistant. You provide the wisdom; the AI provides the speed. It’s a pretty great deal.
7. My Simple “Getting Started” Guide (Baker Style)
If you’re curious about AI but aren’t sure where to start, think of it like baking your first loaf of bread. You don’t start with a three-tier wedding cake. You start with the basics.
- Just Say Hello: Go to a site like ChatGPT or Claude. It’s free to start. Just type, “Hi, I’m [Your Name], and I want to learn more about [Your Hobby]. Can you tell me something interesting about it?”
- Ask for a “Recipe”: If you have a big task—like organizing your garage or starting a blog—ask the AI to give you a step-by-step plan. It’s great at breaking big goals into “bite-sized” pieces.
- Correct It: If it says something you don’t like, tell it! Say, “That’s a bit too formal, can you make it sound more like a conversation over coffee?” You’ll be amazed at how well it listens.
- Use it to Research: Next time you’re wondering about something (like I was about the Canola 1614p), ask the AI instead of just Googling. It’s like having a conversation with a giant encyclopedia.
8. Looking Ahead: The Big Wide Web is Still Growing
I’m not rich yet, and I’m not here to tell you that AI will make you a millionaire overnight. What I can tell you is that it has made my life richer. It has sparked my curiosity, saved me countless hours of frustration, and allowed me to keep growing my online business well into my 60s.
My journey from the TRS-80 to the world of AI has taught me one big thing: Technology is only as good as the heart behind it.
I’ll keep baking my bread, I’ll keep playing with my grandkids, and I’ll keep tinkering with my computers. And as long as I’m learning, I’m having fun.
If you’ve been on the fence about AI, I hope this makes it feel a little less “robotic” and a little more “friendly.” After all, if a 60-year-old baker can do it, anyone can!
What about you? Are you a lifelong learner like me? Have you tried playing with AI yet, or are you still a bit unsure? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below. Let’s keep exploring this digital world together—one “byte” at a time!
A Little Something Extra: Steven’s AI Glossary (The Friendly Version)
- Prompt: This is just a fancy word for “what you say to the AI.” Think of it like a recipe. The better the instructions, the better the bread.
- Generative AI: This just means the AI can “create” things (like text or images) instead of just finding them.
- Hallucination: Sometimes AI gets a bit too confident and makes things up. This is where your 60 years of wisdom come in—you’re the one who double-checks the facts!
- Chatbot: A program you can “chat” with. It feels like texting a friend who knows everything.