Building Custom Workflows

Your Workflow Should Fit You, Not the Other Way Around

Pre-built tools get you 80% there. Custom workflows get you to 100%—perfectly tailored to how you work.

Workflow Design Principles

1. Start with the outcome

• What's the end result you want?
• Who needs it and when?
• What format?

2. Work backwards

• What's the last step?
• What needs to happen before that?
• Keep going until you reach the trigger

3. Identify decision points

• Where do you need to make choices?
• Can AI help with those decisions?
• What stays human judgment?

4. Minimize friction

• Fewer tools = better
• Fewer manual steps = better
• Automatic > manual when safe

5. Build for iteration

• Start simple
• Add complexity gradually
• Always be testing

Custom Workflow Examples

Example 1: Content creation pipeline

Outcome: Published blog post with social promotion

Workflow:

1. Idea capture (Notion quick add)
2. Research phase (ChatGPT: "Research [topic]")
3. Outline generation (ChatGPT: "Create outline")
4. Draft writing (You write, AI assists)
5. Editing (ChatGPT: "Improve clarity and flow")
6. SEO optimization (ChatGPT: "Suggest title, meta, keywords")
7. Publish to CMS
8. Generate social posts (ChatGPT: "Create Twitter thread + LinkedIn post")
9. Schedule promotion
10. Track performance

Automation points:

• Steps 2, 3, 5, 6, 8: AI-assisted
• Steps 7, 9: Can be automated with Zapier
• Steps 1, 4, 10: Remain manual

Example 2: Client onboarding

Outcome: Client ready to start, all docs in place

Workflow:

1. New client notification (CRM trigger)
2. Create folder structure (automated)
3. Generate onboarding doc (ChatGPT + template)
4. Schedule kickoff call (automated email with calendar link)
5. Send welcome packet (automated email)
6. Create project in PM tool (Zapier)
7. Internal team notification (Slack)
8. Kickoff call (manual)
9. Notes summary (Otter + ChatGPT)
10. Project plan creation (ChatGPT: "Based on these notes, create project plan")

Example 3: Weekly reporting

Outcome: Stakeholder update email sent Friday 4pm

Workflow:

1. Friday 3pm: Gather data (automated from PM tool, CRM, analytics)
2. ChatGPT: "Create weekly summary from this data: [paste]"
3. Review and personalize (5 min)
4. Schedule send for 4pm
5. Archive in reporting database

Building Custom GPTs

What are Custom GPTs?

• ChatGPT trained on your specific instructions
• Consistent behavior every time
• No need to repeat context

When to build a Custom GPT:

• You use same prompt structure repeatedly
• Specific domain knowledge needed
• Consistent tone/format required

Example: Email response GPT

Instructions:

You are my email drafting assistant.

Writing style:
- Professional but warm
- Concise (2-3 paragraphs max)
- Active voice
- Specific, not vague

For each email, I'll provide:
- The incoming email
- Key points to address
- Desired tone (formal/casual)

You'll draft a response that:
- Addresses all points clearly
- Includes specific next steps
- Uses my signature style
- Avoids corporate jargon

Ask clarifying questions if needed.

Now every email draft is consistent with your style.

Example: Research assistant GPT

Instructions:

You are my research synthesis assistant.

When I give you research material:
1. Identify key themes
2. Extract actionable insights
3. Note contradictions or gaps
4. Suggest next research questions

Format all outputs as:
- Executive summary (3 bullets)
- Key findings (5-7 detailed points)
- Gaps/questions (3-5)
- Recommended actions

Focus on practical application, not theory.

Workflow Documentation

Create an SOP for each workflow:

Template:

Workflow Name: [Name]
Purpose: [What this achieves]
Trigger: [What starts it]
Frequency: [How often]
Time required: [Minutes]

Steps:
1. [Step] - [Tool] - [Time] - [Manual/Auto]
2. [Step] - [Tool] - [Time] - [Manual/Auto]
...

AI prompts used:
- [Step X]: [Prompt template]

Automation setup:
- [Tool]: [Configuration details]

Common issues:
- [Problem]: [Solution]

Last updated: [Date]

Why document?

• Remember how it works in 6 months
• Onboard others if needed
• Identify improvement opportunities
• Track what actually works

Iterating on Workflows

Monthly workflow review:

For each workflow, ask:

1. Am I still using this? (If no, delete)
2. Is it saving time? (Measure)
3. What breaks most often?
4. What manual steps could be automated?
5. What automated steps should be manual?

Improvement cycle:

1. Identify friction point
2. Test solution for 1 week
3. Measure impact
4. Keep or revert
5. Document change

Small improvements compound.

Advanced: Multi-Tool Workflows

Example: Full content marketing workflow

Tools involved:

• Notion (content calendar)
• ChatGPT (research, drafting, repurposing)
• Grammarly (editing)
• Google Docs (collaboration)
• WordPress (publishing)
• Buffer (social scheduling)
• Google Analytics (tracking)

Integrated workflow:

1. Notion: Content idea added to calendar
2. Zapier: New idea → Create Google Doc from template
3. Manual: Research and draft with ChatGPT
4. Grammarly: Auto-check
5. Manual: Review and finalize
6. Zapier: Doc marked "Ready" → Publish to WordPress
7. ChatGPT: Generate social posts
8. Manual: Schedule in Buffer
9. Weekly: Analytics report auto-generated

Each tool does what it's best at.

Handling Exceptions

Design for the 80%, handle 20% manually:

Example: Invoice workflow

Standard (80%):

• Fixed-rate project
• Auto-generate from template
• Auto-send

Exception (20%):

• Custom pricing
• Multiple phases
• Requires manual review

Don't over-automate exceptions. Just flag them.

Workflow Testing

Before going live:

1. Dry run

• Walk through each step manually
• Note friction points
• Time how long it takes

2. Test with sample data

• Use fake/test data
• Ensure outputs are correct
• Check error handling

3. Pilot for 1 week

• Use in real work
• Keep old system as backup
• Document issues

4. Measure

• Time saved
• Quality maintained
• Error rate

5. Refine

• Fix issues
• Optimize steps
• Document final version

Real-World Custom Workflows

Freelancer: Project delivery workflow

1. Project complete in PM tool
2. Gather deliverables
3. ChatGPT: Generate completion summary
4. Create invoice (template)
5. Package deliverables with summary
6. Send client (scheduled email)
7. Follow-up reminder (if unpaid in 7 days)
8. Thank you note (after payment)
9. Request testimonial
10. Archive project

Manager: 1:1 meeting workflow

1. Weekly 1:1 scheduled
2. Day before: Gather context (recent work, metrics)
3. ChatGPT: "Suggest discussion topics based on: [context]"
4. Meeting happens (Otter records)
5. After: Otter summary → ChatGPT action items
6. Send summary to team member
7. Add action items to tracking
8. Before next 1:1: Review progress

Marketer: Campaign launch workflow

1. Campaign brief created
2. ChatGPT: Generate content ideas
3. Create content calendar
4. For each piece:
   • Research
   • Draft with AI
   • Edit
   • Schedule
5. Set up tracking
6. Launch
7. Daily: Auto-report on performance
8. End of campaign: AI analysis of results

Workflow Optimization Checklist

For any workflow:

• Clearly documented start and end
• All steps necessary (remove redundant)
• AI assists where valuable
• Manual steps are true human decisions
• Error handling in place
• Time saved measured
• Quality maintained or improved
• Reviewed monthly for improvements

Building Your Workflow Library

Create a workflow hub (Notion database):

• Workflow name
• Category (Email, Content, Client work, etc.)
• Status (Active, Testing, Archived)
• Time saved per use
• Last used date
• Link to SOP
• Automation setup links

Track what works, kill what doesn't.

Common Custom Workflows

Sales workflows:

• Prospect research
• Outreach sequences
• Proposal generation
• Follow-up automation

Support workflows:

• Ticket triage
• Response drafting
• Escalation routing
• Knowledge base maintenance

Operations workflows:

• Onboarding/offboarding
• Report generation
• Data synchronization
• Audit and compliance

Personal workflows:

• Weekly planning
• Learning and note-taking
• Health tracking
• Financial review