Category: Burnout Diaries
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By Ken Hollow, AI wrangler, burnout survivor, and reluctant personal brand When GPT-5 dropped, I thought, “Perfect. Finally, an assistant who can handle my tone so I can stop writing captions at 1 a.m. while half-watching reruns of Kitchen Nightmares.” The dream: teach it to write like me, minus the spiraling panic that I lace…
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By Ken Hollow, now officially the unpaid brand ambassador for AI GPT-5 is here. The internet’s buzzing, tech bros are frothing, and I just watched three YouTube thumbnails promise it will “change EVERYTHING.” And to be fair… it might. It can write better than your average LinkedIn “thought leader,” code entire apps faster than you…
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So buckle up, because OpenAI just dropped GPT‑5 on us—and yes, it’s as glamorously overwhelming as your last existential meltdown. Official Launch (Suck on That, Rumor Mill) After a summer of leaks and cryptic “it’ll be out soon” vibes, GPT‑5 finally made its grand entrance. OpenAI rolled it out today to all ChatGPT users, free-tier…
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There’s a romanticized image of “working in digital marketing” that gets passed around on LinkedIn — all minimalist coffee shops, sleek laptops, and people in turtlenecks nodding thoughtfully over pie charts. In this fantasy, you spend your days “driving engagement” and “leveraging data,” occasionally pausing to sip an oat latte and update your personal brand…
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By Ken Hollow, freelance by choice, regret by default When I quit my last real job, I walked out of the office with a box full of succulents, pens I definitely didn’t buy, and a smile so wide it bordered on manic. Freedom. Finally. No more dress codes. No more awkward team-building exercises. No more…
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By Ken Hollow, algorithmically ghosted and emotionally contagious You ever post something, watch it tank, and then immediately question every life choice that led you to this moment? Yeah. That’s me. Twice a week. Every post dies.Every reel flops.Every story reply is a spam bot or someone DMing me about their course. Meanwhile, the only…
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By Ken Hollow, professionally lost and brand-consistent There was a time when I had a job title. Graphic designer. Easy. Understandable. You say it and people nod politely and think of logos and Helvetica. Then came the pivot.Then came Instagram.Then came the bios. Now I write things like “Creative strategist for emotionally burnt-out brands,” and…
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By Ken Hollow, emotionally available and algorithmically punished It happens every time. I post something real. Vulnerable. Messy. The kind of caption where I admit I’m not thriving, I’m just hitting deadlines with a pulse and a prayer. And without fail: Let’s unpack why honesty is the fastest way to torpedo engagement. 🔹 Aesthetic >…
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By Ken Hollow, digitally exhausted and financially underwhelmed Let me preface this by saying I did everything “right.” I followed the gurus. I watched the webinars. I took notes in Notion like my life depended on it (because, in a way, it did). And then I did the thing every creator is told to do:…
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By Ken Hollow, certified human (barely) There was a time when I scoffed at AI-generated content. “Oh please,” I said, adjusting my ethically sourced hoodie. “People want real voices. Authenticity. Personality.” That was before I found myself, at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday, staring blankly at my 19th carousel caption of the week, whispering, “What…