The writing

Writing.

Every essay, in real time — AI and building in public, dinner-table stories from Between Meetings & Meals, and the recipes in between. Originals live on Substack.

AI Can't Hit a Target You Never Set

No target, no agent. Before you hand AI your ad budget, your inbox, or your time, write down what it's supposed to win.

Daniel on Purpose

The Mom Weekend

My mom is in her 70s and runs her own business. One Saturday, one Sunday, eleven lessons, and she got her Sundays back.

Daniel on Purpose

Get Off the Browser

The 90 seconds that unlocked my whole AI journey. If you only ever read one thing I write about AI, read this one.

Daniel on Purpose

The RFP That Ate My Mom's Weekend

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 7. A whole weekend of paperwork, done in under an hour. And the one habit that was holding her back.

Daniel on Purpose

My AI Reads Every Newsletter for Me

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 6. I stopped reading my newsletters and started getting more out of them. Built from two things I already had.

Daniel on Purpose

I Built an AI Chief of Staff

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 5. This used to be a hire. Now it's a set of instructions that briefs my team twice a day.

Daniel on Purpose

I Taught AI to Run My Inbox

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 4. One prompt, one scheduled task, and my email is triaged before I wake up. The exact prompt is inside.

Daniel on Purpose

I Made AI Read the News for Me

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 3. It reads everything, scores what matters, and hands me one brief. While I sleep.

Daniel on Purpose

I Built a Brain That Never Forgets

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 2. I stopped trusting my memory and started trusting a system. Here is the exact setup.

Daniel on Purpose

I Made AI Do My Grocery Shopping

Cool Shit I Built With AI, Part 1. My first build ever: a TikTok recipe, my H-E-B cart, and a mouse that moved by itself.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 019

A glass of Chef Chris’s own label at 10:15 in the morning, a taquiza that turned into a living-room dance floor, and why close beats convenient every time.

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 018

A wine that punched way above its price, chicken parm with the whole crew, and what the beach keeps teaching me about perfect conditions.

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 017

The best things in life get passed down well | Most of what shapes us is taught by example

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 016

Sometimes you just have to press record

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 015

The best technology sends you back into real life

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 014

Failure usually looks worse in your head than it does in real life

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals | Learning Without the Pain | Episode 013

What changes when the frustration disappears

Between Meetings & Meals

The Last Time This Happened, Millions of Jobs Appeared

Why the AI shift might be bigger than we think

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 012

The shift from watching to creating

Between Meetings & Meals

If you travel for work, you’ve probably dealt with this.

The scattered emails, hotel confirmations, and last-minute scrambles that made me build something better.

Daniel on Purpose

My New Favorite AI App for Work Travel

Emails, notes, business cards… all your travel, finally in one place.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 011

The same curiosity that starts a conversation might be the same thing that shapes what comes next

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals — Episode 010

Tradition, technology, and the things that still matter most

Between Meetings & Meals

Shhh… This Might Be the Fastest Way to Use AI Right Now

A new app that can easily 2–3x how fast you move through your work.

Daniel on Purpose

AI Isn’t One Tool Anymore. It’s a System

And most people haven’t realized what their stack is actually building.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 009

Skill Stacking Most progress doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in layers.

Between Meetings & Meals

Stop Learning AI Like a Tourist

The fastest way to catch up is to stop watching and start building.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 008 | Spring Break Edition

Sometimes the best thing you can do is change the scenery and let everything else slow down for a bit.

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals 007

An educated guess, a simple upgrade, and a push to try something new

Between Meetings & Meals

Mexican Chimichurri (Daniel’s Version)

Bright, punchy, cilantro-heavy — built for any red meat night

Recipes

The Cost of Waiting on AI

A conversation with a friend made me rethink what “I’ll learn it later” actually costs.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 006

A wine aisle conversation, a crawfish table surprise, and a simple rule for collecting better life stories.

Between Meetings & Meals

Stop Asking AI Questions. Make AI Ask You Questions Instead.

A simple tactic that dramatically improves AI output.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 005

Familiar Plates and the Calculator Moment

Between Meetings & Meals

The Dan Special at Anita's Cafe

How a rushed teacher lunch turned into a menu item I never saw coming

Recipes

Stop Solving Every Problem: The 1-3-1 Method for Leaders and Parents

A simple structure that builds ownership, confidence, and better thinking.

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 004

Reps, Curiosity, and a Friday Night That Hit

Between Meetings & Meals

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine (Elevated but Easy)

Creamy, simple, and quietly elevated.

Recipes

Brain. Train. Execute.

The BTE Method That Turned AI Into Real Leverage

Daniel on Purpose

Elevated & Easy Reverse-Sear Ribeye

Dry-brined for 24 hours, finished hot and fast. Simple ingredients. Steakhouse results at home.

Recipes

Ribeye (or whatever meat you have leftover) Chilaquiles

Crispy tortillas, warm green salsa, and thin-sliced ribeye turned into a quick, elevated skillet meal.

Recipes

Between Meetings & Meals 003

Time, Ribeye Chilaquiles, and a Red Blend That Keeps Hitting

Between Meetings & Meals

The Rope Isn’t the Problem

Why most people never test what they’re capable of with AI

Daniel on Purpose

Between Meetings & Meals 002

Cabernets, confit, and living in the future

Between Meetings & Meals

Slow Gold

Small Batch Garlic Confit

Recipes

Warm Garlic Confit & Honey Goat Cheese Crostini

Recipes

Who’s Sitting on Your Internal Board?

Slowing down long enough to decide who gets the vote

Daniel on Purpose

Molcajete Fire-Roasted Salsa

Smoky. Deep. Addictive.

Recipes

Welcome to Between Meetings & Meals

On pivoting, building, and aligning work with home.

Between Meetings & Meals

Between Meetings & Meals | 001

A dinner party experiment, a new board game obsession, and why I’m building a digital twin.

Between Meetings & Meals