Tracy Sheen - The Digital Guide

Australian Hairdressing Council you did not disappoint!

What a fantastic crowd.
Lots of laughs
Lots of aha
Lots of banter

I’ve left them all to party the night away…

And yes, the Sonia Stradiotto Couture suit was a big hit ❤️❤️❤️

Thanks to Fiona and Jen for organising a wonderful event and Eloise for being such an attractive MC (there’s an inside joke there)

Longreach. Our final stop on the Western Queensland Digital Exchange AI Roadshow. And what a town to end on.

Ten days at Muddy Duck Tourist Park on the banks of the Thomson River. Something cracking has been built out there. Drive-through sites, kayaks, fire pit, outback sunsets that make you forget to check your phone. The kind of park you arrive at thinking three nights and leave thinking we could stay three weeks.

Longreach has a personality all its own. Streets named after birds. Art that stops you mid-walk. And locals who greet you like you've been coming for years. We spotted a few brolgas out around the Thomson too, which never gets old.

The Italian delivered one of the best feeds on the whole roadshow. Authentic Italian in an underground heritage cellar in outback Queensland. The arancini, the pasta, the tiramisu... if you're passing through, don't skip it.

We also found what I'm officially declaring the comfiest hair salon chairs in the country. That award belongs entirely to Sage Hair.
And Suzie gave me one of the best massages I've had anywhere in Australia. Fixed things I didn't know needed fixing.

Then there's the reason we came.

Social Collective and The Birdcage Hotel opened their doors on a Saturday morning, and nine people showed up.
Nine legends. On a Saturday. In outback Queensland.
Marty brought in a hand-drawn construction sketch and we turned it into a quote and pricing email on the spot.

Raylene grabbed a photo from realestate.com.au and we built her a starter floor plan.

That's the whole story. A photo. A prompt. A Monday morning win.

Longreach, you were a cracking place to finish. Thank you for having us.

Oh, PS: Check out the artwork by Jane, one of the workshop attendees... and no, it's not AI

Ada, my AI assistant, shaped this post from my notes. The road trip, the feeds and the memories are all mine.

Winton. You wowed me.

Pete and I decided to stay overnight so we could do both dinosaur experiences while we were in town.

Australian Age of Dinosaurs up on The Jump-Up. And Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways, 110km out of town.

I thought I was prepared for what we were going to see. I'd read all about it, and been wanting to get there for years. I was absolutely not prepared.

These are not tourist traps. Both are operating at a standard that would hold up anywhere in the world. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs holds the world's largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and runs the most productive fossil prep lab in the Southern Hemisphere. You get to see it all. Real fossils. Real scientists. Real work.

Lark Quarry is the only known dinosaur stampede site on the planet. Over 3,300 footprints, preserved in rock, 95 million years old. Standing on that boardwalk... yeah.

The staff at both places know their stuff inside and out. This is what happens when people care deeply about what they do.

The fly level at The Jump-Up was sitting at FREE PROTEIN when we arrived. Still worth it.

I got to host an AI Made Simple workshop while we were in town. Three people. Three of the best conversations of the whole roadshow. Went deep on AI image creation and video. Switched on and asking all the right questions.

Small numbers, big impact. That's regional Australia.

Winton, you cracking little town. I'll be back soon... and next time, the remainder of the dinosaur trail!

PS: my AI assistant shaped the words. The flies, the footprints and the three cracking workshop attendees were all very much real.

Huge thanks to Winton Shire Council, Experience Winton, Social Collective for inviting me to region. And HUGE shout out to Banjo

Kiddos got their wish

Break time and a lovely wander to the Thompson River.

When in Longreach Obi and Lando choose to stay at Muddy Duck Tourist Park

these illustrated character boards are the latest thing taking over social media.

Naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

What fascinated me wasn’t the artwork itself. It was the process.

With a little help from my AI assistant, Linus, we explored what makes up my personal brand, the work I do, the people I serve, the things I care about and even the travelling menagerie of Obi, Lando and Watson.

The result is more than an image.

It’s a visual snapshot of values, personality, business and life.

The interesting lesson for small business owners?

The quality of the output wasn’t determined by the AI.

It was determined by how clearly I could describe who I am, what I do and why it matters.

If you’d like to create your own version, here’s the prompt we used as a starting point:

👇 PROMPT 👇

Create a premium illustrated personality collage of [YOUR NAME].

Style:
Elegant hand-drawn editorial sketchbook aesthetic with expressive ink lines, soft marker rendering and handwritten annotations on a clean white background. Blend personal branding, lifestyle storytelling and professional expertise.

Include:
• Multiple full body poses and portraits
• A mix of professional and candid moments
• Signature outfits and personal style
• A playful mini cartoon version
• Objects that represent my work and interests
• Handwritten quotes and observations
• Personal values and strengths
• Lifestyle elements and hobbies
• Visual references to my business and audience

Add handwritten notes that reflect:
• My philosophy
• My favourite sayings
• My professional expertise
• My personality traits

Include visual symbols associated with:
• My work
• My hobbies
• My favourite tools
• My lifestyle
• My family or pets
• My goals and aspirations

Art style:
High-end illustrated editorial board, fashion sketchbook, expressive ink illustration, watercolour markers, premium lifestyle magazine aesthetic, warm, intelligent and approachable.

Use information from the uploaded photos and the following background information:
[PASTE BIO HERE]

I’d love to see what yours looks like.

If someone turned your business into a character board, what three objects would have to appear in it?