Try AI for Growth

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores how Claude for Word transformed a routine client reporting process into a repeatable workflow. Starting with nothing more than a project mandate and a collection of rough working notes, she used AI to create a structured, professional report in minutes, while keeping complete control over the content and judgment behind it. Rathe...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how she built an AI Grant Scout agent for her charity, Um Pequeno Gesto — a structured workflow designed to identify, assess and prioritise funding opportunities more strategically. A tool with real commercial applications.  Rather than treating AI as a chatbot experiment, Sara explores what happens when you build an agent around a...

Sara Vicente Barreto set out to fix one cluttered slide. What followed was an accidental full redesign of a charity pitch deck — and a new way of thinking about strategic presentation work. In this episode, Sara shares what happened when she gave Claude for PowerPoint a real brief: a side-by-side comparison, a vague positioning concept, and a five-year-old intro slide that no longer reflected how...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto shares her first experience building apps with Lovable — starting from a moment of complete creative paralysis during a hands-on workshop and ending with multiple working apps built in under ten minutes. What began as an experiment in AI-powered app creation quickly became a broader reflection on workflows, creativity, and how non-coders c...

n this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how one AI tool—Claude for Excel—made her rethink what her first job would look like today. By bringing AI directly into spreadsheets, Claude doesn't just assist with analysis—it can fix formulas, rebuild models, validate data, and even create full dashboards from scratch. Through real examples, from debugging complex files to build...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth, Sara Vicente Barreto explores how a simple shift in using AI transformed a moment of overwhelm into real learning. What started as a frustrating biology revision session became a powerful experiment in focus, using Google Notebook LLM to ground AI in specific materials. The result? Greater clarity, confidence, and a completely different learning experience. Th...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores what really happens after a networking event, and why so much potential gets lost in the follow-up. Using AI as a personal secretary, she shares how a simple voice interaction turned scattered thoughts into structured, actionable next steps. From capturing conversations in real time to identifying opportunities and prioritising a...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara shares how she used AI to automate a monthly accounting process—and why it completely failed the first time. What started as a straightforward automation attempt quickly turned into a deeper exercise in structuring data, defining rules, and debugging with AI. Using Claude, Sara didn't just build a macro—she uncovered hidden issues, refined her system, an...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares a simple workflow that helped her capture a blog idea while driving and turn it into a usable draft. Starting with a quick voice note recorded in the car, she used Descript to generate a transcript and ChatGPT to clean it up into a structured first version. The result? A low-friction way to capture ideas anywhere and turn messy tho...

In this episode of  Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores what happens when you stop relying on just one AI tool and start combining them intentionally. After drafting a company briefing with ChatGPT, she decided to test something different — using Perplexity to verify sources, challenge assumptions, and strengthen the final output. The result? A powerful distinction between AI writing...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares a practical story of using AI to introduce automation into a system that already worked: a long-standing Excel file used for monthly accounting and reconciliation. Starting with a small but meaningful problem — converting numbers into text in Portuguese using a custom macro — Sara reflects on what it really means to automate respon...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how she used AI to plan and pack for a last-minute family holiday to Sal, Cape Verde — without the usual stress. From creating a personalised packing list to understanding hotel activities, local excursions, and weather conditions, AI became her on-the-go travel assistant. This episode explores how conversational AI can reduce ment...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI helped her transform a complex, overwhelming field report from a nine-day trip to Mozambique into a structured set of actions, insights, and strategic directions. Instead of getting stuck in the mental load of hundreds of notes, scattered observations, and project details, Sara used AI to extract actions, identify themes, bu...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares her journey of building her first custom AI agent: a publishing partner designed to edit, optimize, and package her blog posts—without losing her authentic voice. From identifying the pain points of publishing, to designing and training the agent on her unique workflow, Sara reveals the behind-the-scenes process, the lessons learne...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores Notebook LLM—a tool designed to turn documents into audio content. After uploading a detailed NGO report, Sara was blown away to receive a conversational podcast so realistic that her team thought she'd produced it herself. With minimal input, the tool delivered something human, engaging, and ready to share. Sara reflects on how...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , host Sara Vicente Barreto shares her hands-on experience improving AI image generation using DALL·E. After many failed attempts in the past, she finally cracked the code—by defining her style upfront, using the select tool, and iterating on visual prompts to achieve a cohesive set of cartoon-style illustrations for a critical thinking workshop. She walks list...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , host Sara Vicente Barreto shares how she tackled a daunting but essential task for any founder—building internal policies. With the help of AI, she created clear, contextual, and practical policies for her advisory business, Inside the Business Mind . From data protection to risk management, Sara reveals how AI helped her overcome procrastination, get started...

In this light-hearted episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how a Chinese-language book about robots turned into an unexpected evening of discovery, curiosity, and bonding with her son. Using ChatGPT's Lens and Voice Mode, Sara was able to translate, explore, and learn alongside her child—culminating in fun facts, a quiz, and a bedtime story. A beautiful example of how AI can...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores how AI—this time Gemini, not ChatGPT—became her partner in curiosity. After finishing the book May Contain Lies , Sara turned to AI to help her not only summarize the content but to push further: turning highlights into checklists, generating follow-up reading lists, and even mapping resources for her upcoming critical thinking w...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores how AI is transforming the way we capture and process meeting notes. From CEO advisory calls to investor pitches and charity meetings, Sara shares her personal experience using AI tools—especially Fathom—to save time, boost productivity, and focus more on the conversation. From choosing the right app to real-time highlights and a...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI transformed a surprise campervan trip to Serra da Estrela into an immersive, engaging, and culturally rich experience. From helping her choose the destination, planning logistics, and surfacing hidden murals to turning a simple walk into a storytelling adventure for her kids, AI proved to be the ultimate travel companion. Wh...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI became her secret tool for transforming handwritten notes into structured, actionable content . From meeting notes to book summaries , she discusses how AI helped her transcribe, organize, and refine her ideas—turning scattered thoughts into structured insights. If you've ever stared at pages of notes, wondering what to do w...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto explores how AI tools, like the Khan Academy agent in ChatGPT, are transforming study time with her kids into a collaborative and exciting learning experience. From solving divisibility puzzles and practising math methods to summarizing tricky science concepts, Sara shares her real-life examples of using AI to simplify learning while fost...

In this episode of Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how AI helped her enhance a Vision Board Workshop. From brainstorming reflection prompts to structuring the agenda, Sara discusses how technology brought creativity, structure, and inspiration into the process. Discover how AI went beyond execution, sparking ideas and providing tailored suggestions to create a meaningful experience...

In this episode of  Try AI for Growth , Sara Vicente Barreto shares how ChatGPT helped her daughter prepare for the role of Molly in Annie . From character insights to performance tips, this experiment turned a school play into an opportunity to explore creativity, confidence-building, and collaboration. Discover how AI can bring a fresh perspective to everyday challenges, even on the stage! Wheth...