In this episode of the AI for Business Owners Podcast, host Jeff Torello sits down with Rachelle Copeland, founder and CEO of Porte Lux, a full-service private label handbag and accessory company. Rachelle shares how she's exploring AI to streamline everything from design to sourcing, and how custom GPTs and automation tools are helping her team save time and scale smarter. She also talks about the evolution of her career, from launching her own branded handbag line to building a behind-the-scenes powerhouse for global fashion retailers.

If you're in a product-based business and want to stay ahead of the curve, this episode is a masterclass in applying AI and automation without losing the human touch.

Key Takeaways

• How to use AI to personalize and automate client outreach

• Why custom GPTs trained on your voice save hours per week

• Workflow automation tools like n8n, Zapier, and Make for design, sourcing, and production follow-ups

• The difference between temperature settings in ChatGPT and how to use them

• Why Copilot for Excel isn't ready for prime time in financial or forecasting work

• Creative ways to animate still fashion designs using Midjourney and Motion Brush

• How persona-based AI assistants can give designers feedback from multiple perspectives

Noteworthy Quotes

• "What has always driven me is finding each customer's unique success formula, and AI is now helping me do that faster." – Rachelle Copeland
• "We're using AI to work smarter and stay competitive in a fast-changing world." – Rachelle Copeland
• "Think of AI like a digital assistant that learns your tone and does half the writing for you." – Jeff Torello
• "Don't use AI to replace humans. Use it to amplify your creative and strategic output." – Jeff Torello
• "The real game-changer for founders? Workflow automation that replaces repetitive admin with real progress." – Jeff Torello

Key Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: Meet Rachelle Copeland, founder of Porte Lux 01:35 – What "private label" really means (and how Porte Lux delivers full-service production) 05:45 – Why Rachelle is exploring AI as a growth tool 06:38 – Using ChatGPT and building a custom digital assistant in your own tone 09:37 – Temperature settings in ChatGPT: what they mean and how to use them 13:58 – Creating AI personas to test fashion styles and perspectives 17:57 – The case for content-first visibility before sales outreach 25:01 – Tools for social automation: Make, N8N, Mind Studio, Zapier 29:39 – Automating follow-ups with clients, factories, and suppliers 35:10 – Creating animated product visuals with Midjourney & Motion Brush 37:50 – Why AI fails at precision math and forecasting (and what to do instead) 38:23 – Copilot for Excel: promising, but not reliable (yet) 40:10 – Final takeaways: AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch

FOLLOW OUR GUEST RACHELLE COPELAND ON:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellecopeland

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelle.copeland.2025/

• Website: https://www.portelux.com/

• Porte Lux LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/porte-lux/

FOLLOW OUR HOST JEFF TORELLO ON:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtorello/

• Website: https://sinjun.ai/

FOLLOW SINJUN AI ON:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinjunai/

• Website: https://sinjun.ai/

• X (Twitter): https://x.com/sinjunai

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinjun.ai/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sinjun-AI/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SinjunAI

FOLLOW AI FOR BUSINESS OWNERS PODCAST ON:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3yi0lfb6ZtSuqRvKh6a2e1?si=88f9e649d1f546c8

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AIforBizOwners

• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ai-for-business-owners/id1823255627