AI Isn’t Replacing You. But It Will Replace Your Old Way of Working.

Why every school, language centre and agency needs to hear what Julie Holmes said on Selling Education.

If you work in admissions, marketing, student recruitment, or run an agency. The words AI and tech can make you want to switch off and go and do literally anything else.

The sector is shifting, fast. Families expect personalisation. Agents expect better communication. Students expect relevance.

And AI isn’t going anywhere.
So you’ve got two choices:
1. Avoid it and fall behind, or
2. Use it properly and free up time to do the one thing AI can’t do, build relationships.

That’s exactly why I brought Julie Holmes onto the Selling Education podcast. Julie is a serial inventor, tech developer, and the top-rated speaker at No Fluff Fest 2025 (yes, she beat my session too…).

What she shared in this episode is essential if you care about enrolments, bookings, or keeping your sanity intact.

AI Isn’t Coming For Your Job, It’s Coming For Your Tasks

Julie said something that landed hard across the whole sector:

“In the future, there are no easy jobs.”

She’s right. The simple tasks, formatting, summarising, drafting, admin, will be automated. But the job itself?
Your judgment.
Your intuition.
Your ability to read people.
Your understanding of families, cultures, agents, and what students really need.

AI can’t touch that.

This is the relief most people in our sector need.
You’re not being replaced.
You’re being supported, if you use the tools correctly.

The 20-60-20 Rule: The Reason AI Output Sounds Terrible (And How to Fix It)

Julie introduced a rule I’ve now taught to dozens of schools and agencies:
20-60-20.

The first 20% is you, context, clarity, direction.
The middle 60% is the tool, let it do the heavy lifting.
The final 20% is you again, editing, human nuance, culture, emotion, tone.

Miss the first or last bit, and you get robotic nonsense you’d never put your name to.
Get it right, and you’ll save hours and sound more like yourself than ever.

If you’ve ever looked at an AI-written email and thought “nope”, this is why.

Not Techie? Good. You Don’t Need to Be.

One of the most refreshing moments in the episode was Julie’s bluntness:

“AI is not a tech problem. It’s a technique opportunity.”

You don’t need to understand coding, machine learning, or models.
You need to understand communication.
And if you work in student recruitment?
You’re already ahead of most industries.

You spend your life explaining, translating, guiding, and supporting families.
AI simply amplifies that.

The #1 Most Impactful Use of AI for Schools and Agencies? Personalisation.

Julie didn’t hesitate:
Personalisation is the biggest win.

Not as a gimmick, but to meet people where they are.
Think:
• A Gen Z version of your follow-up email
• A culturally-sensitive rewrite for international families
• A parent-focused version for boarding enquiries
• A career-shifter message for adult learners

AI lets you scale nuance, something that used to take ages.

And no, we’re not automating your empathy.
We’re amplifying it.

Start Here: Persona Building + Custom Instructions

Julie talks about two simple but transformational steps:

1. Create your personas in AI

Let the tool help you define:
• Your typical families
• Their worries
• Their goals
• Their objections

Then use those personas in all your prompts.

2. Set up custom instructions properly

Tell the tool:
• Who you are
• Who you serve
• How you communicate
• What you avoid
• Your tone
• Your mission

This makes your last 20% so much easier, and your output far more “you”.
Julie even explains how to get AI to help you write your custom instructions.

If You’re Worried About Creativity… Don’t Be

The best line of the episode?

“AI is a prediction engine. It can’t replace the twist, surprise, or emotion that humans bring.”

In other words:
AI can assist.
AI can speed things up.
AI can structure, tidy, and enhance.

But it can’t create Oklahoma!
(or your version of Oklahoma, your unique magic when speaking to families or agents.)

The Tools Julie Recommends (And Actually Uses)

There was a real “oh wow” moment when Julie shared the tools that changed her working life:

• Fathom, for recording and summarising meetings
• Plod, for in-person note-taking
• ChatGPT + Claude, depending on task
• Canva, for image generation
• Google VO, for video work

And yes, she uses them all to serve clients better, not to distance herself from them.

What You Should Never Ask AI to Do

You’ll want to hear her full answer, but here’s the punchline:

Never ask AI to be you.
It doesn’t know your memories, your experiences, or your intuition.

It’s your assistant, not your replacement.

If You’ve Been Afraid of “Sounding AI”… Listen to This Bit

AI shaming is real.
Double dashes, certain phrases, we all recognise them.

Julie’s stance?

Stop worrying about how you got there. Focus on the message.
Just do your last 20% properly.

This is the mindset shift the sector needs.

Ready to Feel More Confident With AI? Listen to the Full Episode

This conversation will change how you work, not in a terrifying Silicon Valley way, but in a practical, calm, “oh thank goodness I can save time” way.

If you want to:
• Write better follow-ups
• Reduce admin
• Communicate more clearly
• Support more families
• Improve agent relationships
• Save time every single week

…then this episode is worth your next 20 minutes.

Listen to the full episode here

And if this has sparked questions or you want support getting AI working in your admissions team or agency, let’s talk.