Subject Line: The "Running Shoe Rule" (and why you need it) 👟
The BRIEF Framework and the 3 reasons you must stop using AI to write your job applications.
Hey Influencers, Nat here.
I had one of those truly disruptive conversations this week with Donna M. Brown, a fractional CHRO who spent 30 years at the Fortune 500 level.
The core realization? We are using AI wrong, and it’s stressing us out
.
We’re all running scared about AI ruining company culture and taking jobs. But Donna showed me that AI isn’t the problem—it’s the only way to save the human side of work by finally stripping away the mind-numbing admin work we hate.
If we stop drowning in resume screening, we can spend more time on strategy. It’s about being a “freed human,” not a replaced one.
The Two Things That Blew My Mind:
1. The Controversial Culture Fix
We talk endlessly about eliminating bias, but Donna’s “Running Shoe Rule” flipped my thinking on its head.
She argues that if you run a specialty store for marathon runners, you are completely within your rights to prefer hiring someone who runs. Is that a bias? Yes. Is it strategic? Absolutely.
The point isn’t exclusion; it’s strategic alignment with the culture you’re trying to build. You just have to be transparent about it. This is how high-performing companies protect their DNA without becoming toxic.
2. Stop Getting Robot Garbage from AI
If you’re using ChatGPT and getting generic, fluffy text back, the problem is your prompt. It’s a delegation issue.
Donna shared her proprietary BRIEF Framework (Background, Request, Instruction, Expectation, Focus).
I tried this immediately, and it changed my output overnight. It forces you to stop asking AI to be a magician and start treating it like the literal, highly powerful assistant that it is. If you want to move from an average user to an Augmented Executive, you need this structure.
Best,
Nat
PS the audio is at the bottom of the page if you want to take a listen. I have also included some other options.
Watch the full episode on YouTube today:
Listen on Audioboom/Podcast: https://audioboom.com/posts/8817253-fortune-500-hr-chief-future-proof-your-career-with-ai
Dig deeper into the blog on my personal site here: https://www.natschooler.com/future-proof-leadership-ai-running-shoe-rule/