Why Follow-Through is Still Human Work: Places AI Can't Help Your Business, Part 4 [Two on Tuesdays]


Happy Tuesday, Reader!

Today’s AI tools make starting things easier than ever. For example, much has been written about how helpful ChatGPT is at getting from blank page to rough draft for writers. But here's what no algorithm can do for you: the discipline of finishing.

There are 99 days left in 2025. We're in that magic momentum cycle where hitting those big goals and leaning into the intentions we set in our planning sessions becomes not just possible, but natural.

Realign with the Human Skill of Finishing Things

Just like there are seasons for rest (winter is coming), there are seasons where movement is the natural order of things. Fall is one of those seasons.

We are meant to finish things right now—to prepare our metaphorical nests for hibernation. The energy of fall is designed for completion, for wrapping up what we started when the year felt full of endless possibilities.

For example, AI can generate your outline, suggest your next steps, and even write your first draft. But it cannot make you sit down day after day and do the hard work of edits and revisions. It cannot push through your resistance when the project gets hard. It cannot feel the satisfaction of typing "The End”, clicking "Publish”, or sending that final invoice.

The discipline of finishing (of following through on commitments, pushing past the messy middle, choosing completion over perfection) is entirely human territory.

Your Assignment for the Next 99 Days

Take some time this week to choose ONE priority project (note: this word was never meant to be pluralized). Choose something you're committed to finishing before the Winter Solstice (or New Year's Eve if that's more your style) and plot out a plan to get it done.

If you need it, you have my full permission to use Claude or ChatGPT to help you make that plan if you're stuck. Let AI handle the logistics, the scheduling, and even the motivation techniques. But remember: the actual finishing? That's up to you.

The tools can start it. Only you can complete it.

Let’s do this.

What important projects or big goals are you committed to completing by the end of the year? If you need some accountability, reply to this email and tell me about it.

Until next time,


Renia C.



Renia Carsillo

Renia (pronounced R-EE-n-a) Carsillo hates business silos and marketing hacks. So, she spends her days working with mid-size and small companies to integrate their business strategy with their impact strategy, design sustainable marketing frameworks, and find a growth cadence that works for their team and their lives. Renia believes founders are uniquely positioned to create a kinder, more equitable world. She is passionate about bringing C-level strategic support to the small and mid-size companies shaping their communities every day. Renia says, "Sustainable marketing is built on a solid business strategy. A solid business strategy is built on values-driven habits. Values-driven habits are built on healed/healing leaders. We can’t do these things separately. They’re all interconnected. ”

Read more from Renia Carsillo

For the next few weeks, we're offering specific tactics, thoughts, and resources for The Solo Acts and micro businesses that haven't yet broken the $250K ceiling. If that's not you, this content might not be directly relevant. Rest assured that we'll be back to our regular Two on Tuesdays topics in January. Happy Tuesday, Reader! Over the past few weeks, we've been talking about The $250K Club and the ceiling that keeps so many women-led businesses stuck. Today, I want to talk about one of...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! Happy almost New Year! We're still on our holiday break (back in the office Monday, January 5), but I wanted to reach out with a special offer for anyone who's been considering The $250K Club. Register by Midnight Tomorrow & Get a Bonus Kickoff Workshop If you register for The $250K Club by 11:59 PM on New Year's Eve, you'll get exclusive access to a bonus 90-minute workshop with me on Tuesday, January 6. (We won't see your registration until Monday, but the magical...

Hi Reader, As I’m sure many of you remember from years past, we're closing our doors for the last two weeks of December. This tradition has become non-negotiable for us, as it’s a time when our team can truly step away, knowing that most of our clients are doing the same. And, it's how we practice what we preach: Rest and leaning into community are essential for sustainability. With that being said… Our offices are closed from December 20 through January 4 to allow our team time to rest...