Welcome to The Iconic Edge. As always, my goal is to help you find, elevate, and monetise YOUR iconic identity by partnering with AI, so you can thrive in the AI age.
I was at a party recently when a smart, accomplished woman pulled me aside. She was the sister of my neighbour and was visiting from London.
She'd been playing around with ChatGPT and other AI tools but not with any direction or focus.
She asked me "How do I start working strategically with AI? I know it’s important but I feel so behind"
She wasn't behind. She was smart enough to know that randomly typing into a chat window is not a strategy. And bold enough to ask for help.
Here's what I told her.
Don't open ChatGPT yet. Educate yourself first.
Most people skip this step. They jump straight to a tool, get an underwhelming result, and conclude AI isn't for them right now.
So they stop. And tell themselves they'll come back when they have time.
They won't. Not unless something changes in how they start.
The problem isn't the tool. It's the entry point.
Why Looking at the Bigger Picture Matters
Understanding the AI arena is essential before you choose your AI partner, or get a degree in writing prompts.
The leading figures. The language. The tools and agents. The benefits and concerns,
Most importantly, what's coming next.
Why? Because jumping into the how, before learning about the what and the why means you have no context. So when you don’t get the result you expected at once it is easier to become de-motivated.
Women in particular need a strong reason for embracing something new. It’s in our nature. That’s why research shows women actively using AI is lower than men right now.
It’s not because of fear (well not for everyone) it’s because we need to know the bigger picture, not just blindly dive in without thinking about the impact.
So give yourself the space to learn.
I promise, once you know the bigger picture you will be ready dive in head first!
Spend this week doing at least one of the following before you touch an AI tool again
5 Ways to Educate Yourself About AI Today
Follow a curated mix of male and female AI thinkers on LinkedIn.
Start with Allie K. Miller, Ethan Mollick and Cassie Kozyrkov.
Listen to one AI podcast on your daily commute.
Hard Fork and The AI Daily Brief are good starting points.
Watch one explainer or tool walkthrough on YouTube each week.
Short. Practical. Visual. Check out AI Explained.
Research how AI is reshaping your specific industry and role.
Search "AI + your industry + 2026" and read three serious articles.
Subscribe to one or two newsletters that filter the noise for you. (The Iconic Edge being one!)
The Bottom Line
In a year from now, the women in your industry will fall into two camps.
Those who understand and actively use AI to their advantage.
And those who keep meaning to.
Decide which one you want to be.
Because without a deep understanding, a clear strategy and action, it’s just playing.
All my best,
Nichola
P.S. If you're finding The Iconic Edge valuable, please forward this to another ambitious woman who needs to hear it. We rise together.