--- title: "Set Up Your AI Partner the Right Way" url: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/events/ai-content-system-ai-partner-setup description: "The four-layer setup that turns ChatGPT (or any agent) into a real partner: custom instructions, memory, projects, files. Watch the Session 3 replay." type: event updated: 2026-11-06T19:42:46Z canonical: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/events/ai-content-system-ai-partner-setup --- # Set Up Your AI Partner The Right Way Most humans use AI like a vending machine: punch in a prompt, get a snack, walk away. Session 3 swaps the vending machine for a four-layer setup so your AI partner stops starting from zero. The full 35-minute replay is up top. Hit play. If you've ever stared at a blinking cursor and felt like you were starting from scratch every single time, you're not broken and your tool isn't broken. Your setup is. Most humans never get past the prompt box, so they never give the tool the context it needs to sound like them, write for their audience, or stop guessing. Garbage in equals garbage out. Nothing in also equals garbage out. In Session 3, George walks through the mental model that fixes it: a four-layer stack you build inside ChatGPT (and the same idea translates to Claude or any agent you're using). Layer 1 is custom instructions, the lobby every chat walks through. Layer 2 is memory, the notebook the tool keeps on you. Layer 3 is projects, the conference rooms with their own rules and reference material. Layer 4 is files, the source material on the table. Get those four layers loaded and the same prompts you've been typing for months start producing dramatically different work. This is the 101 version on purpose. No prompt-engineering nerd talk, no three-hour YouTube rabbit hole. By the end of the replay you'll know exactly where to click, what to write, what to delete, and which mistakes to dodge. You'll also get a peek at Echo, the second brain Sidekick Strategies built to take all four layers to the next level, plus the SWOT-analysis prompt George uses to audit his own custom instructions. ## What You'll Learn - Internalize the four-layer mental model (custom instructions, memory, projects, files) so you stop confusing the layers and start using each one for what it's actually for. - Audit and rewrite your custom instructions using the 60/40 character split (working context first, rules second) plus the SWOT prompt George shares on screen. - Clean up your memory and thread projects together with Branch in New Chat so context flows from research to writing to social without restarting the conversation. - Spot the three mistakes that quietly kill your output: stale instructions, contradictions, and missing hierarchy, plus the fix for each. ## Agenda - **0:00 - 0:05:** Using AI vs. Partnering With AI. The difference between one-off prompting and a configured AI partner. Why configuration is a one-time investment that pays off on every prompt. - **0:05 - 0:15:** Live Demo: Configuration + Workspaces. Setting up custom instructions in ChatGPT and Claude. Creating project workspaces. Loading your identity document. - **0:15 - 0:25:** Building Your Team's Shared Configuration. Creating a configuration document any team member can follow. Ensuring consistency across tools and team members. - **0:25 - 0:30:** Quick Wins + Preview. Three things to implement today, plus a preview of the prompt framework in Session 4. ## Speakers - **George B. Thomas**, Founder, Sidekick Strategies: George B. Thomas is the founder of Sidekick Strategies, a HubSpot Platinum Partner agency. Having earned 40+ HubSpot certifications, worked in the HubSpot ecosystem since 2013, and created over 2,000 educational videos and podcast episodes, George brings deep platform expertise combined with a genuine passion for helping humans flourish with technology. ## Recording [Watch the recording](https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/blog/ai-content-system-session-3-recap) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do I need paid ChatGPT or Claude accounts? Free accounts work for the basics. Paid accounts (ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro) unlock custom instructions, projects, and longer context, which are valuable but not required to get started. ### Can multiple team members use the same configuration? Yes. The configuration document you build in this session is designed to be shared. Each team member loads it into their own AI account for consistent output across the team. ## Configure Your AI Partner Stop starting every AI conversation from zero. Set up your tools once, get on-brand output every time. ## Key facts - **Event type:** Webinar - **Status:** Past - **Starts:** May 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT - **Ends:** May 15, 2026 at 12:30 PM EDT - **Start (ISO 8601):** 2026-05-15T16:00:00.000Z - **Location:** Virtual, Zoom - **Registration:** Closed --- Source: https://www.sidekickstrategies.com/events/ai-content-system-ai-partner-setup Sidekick Strategies ยท HubSpot consulting and content operations