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jdcs.au · Mid North Coast, NSW

Free course · hands-on · 5 lessons · about 38 min

Build your first automations.

The hands-on sequel to the AI for leaders course: stop reading about automation and ship some. Five short lessons that build real flows in Make or Zapier with an AI step and your everyday apps: lead to CRM, instant enquiry acknowledgements, an AI-sorted inbox. No code, honest about costs, and clear on when to graduate to n8n.

Start lesson 1 Get the workbook

The hands-on sequel to the AI for leaders course. You'll finish with two or three real flows running: lead to CRM, instant enquiry acknowledgements, and an AI-sorted inbox. Honest about costs, and clear on when to graduate.

What you'll build
Lesson 1 Triggers, actions and your first scenario The whole mental model in one sitting: a trigger fires, actions follow, and data flows down the chain. How Make and Zapier think, the words that make the rest of the course click, and the shape of your first flow. 7 min
Lesson 2 Connect your real apps Wire a form, your email, a Google Sheet and a CRM together so a new enquiry lands everywhere it should. How connections and field mapping actually work, and how to test with one safe record before you trust it. 8 min
Lesson 3 Add an AI step Drop an OpenAI or Claude step into the middle of a flow to summarise, classify and draft a reply, then route on what it decides. The prompt recipe that works, and the human check that keeps it safe. 8 min
Lesson 4 Build a lead follow-up flow, end to end The flagship build: enquiry in, AI reads and tags it, it lands in your CRM, the customer gets an instant acknowledgement, and the hot ones get flagged for a human. One scenario, start to finish. 8 min
Lesson 5 Make it reliable, and your 90-day plan Error handling, testing, what it actually costs, and the honest signal that you've outgrown the no-code tools and it's time for n8n or a hand. Plus a calm plan to ship two or three automations that stick. 7 min

Work through them in order. The single way in is lesson 1.

Carry on anywhere.

Start on your laptop, finish on the train. Save your spot and we'll email you a link that picks the course back up on any device. No account, no password.

Pick up anywhere

Save your progress

Pop your email in and we'll send you a link to pick up where you left off, on any device. No account needed.

Just for the link to your progress. No spam, and I never share your details.

Plan it with your team.

A short working session you do together: pick what to automate first, plan the trigger, actions and AI step, work through the build checklist, and set up testing and error handling. Type into it or print it. Want just the gist? There's a free one-page summary too.

Free download

Get the first-automations workbook

Pop your email in and the fill-in workbook is yours: pick what to automate first, plan your trigger, actions and AI step, work the build checklist, and set up testing and a 90-day plan. Type into it or print it.

Your email gets you the workbook, that's it. No spam, and I never share your details.

Prefer the quick version? Read the free one-page summary →

Before you start.

Is the course really free?
Yes, completely. All five lessons are free to read with no sign-up. If you'd like the fill-in build workbook to plan your first flows with your team, that's a quick email, and that's the only thing asked for anywhere on here. There's a free one-page summary too, with nothing asked for.
Who is this for?
Ops-minded owners and managers who liked the AI for leaders course and now want to actually build. It's intermediate but still no-code: if you can set up a form and find your way around a spreadsheet, you're ready. No programming needed.
Which tools do I need?
We teach with Make as the main tool, with Zapier as the close alternative, plus an AI step from OpenAI or Claude and a couple of everyday apps like Gmail, Google Sheets and a CRM. You can follow along on free or low-cost plans to start.
How long does it take?
About 38 minutes to read, across five short lessons. Building along as you go takes a little longer, but you'll finish with two or three working automations rather than just notes.
Will it go out of date as the tools change?
The menus move, so the course sticks to what lasts: triggers and actions, mapping your data, a safe AI step with a human check, and reliable error handling. Learn the shape and you'll keep up as the buttons move around.
Is this just a sales pitch?
No. It's the same honest advice JDCS would give in a conversation, written down, so you walk away genuinely able to build. If a flow outgrows the no-code tools, or you'd rather hand it over, the first conversation is free and you keep the plan either way.
When you're ready

Want a flow built or untangled in your business?

Once you've shipped a couple yourself, the next step is the trickier flows: more apps, more volume, or the ones where a slip would cost you. That first conversation is free, and you keep the plain-English plan either way.

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