By Phil Gee · AI Academy, Southport
Most people treat AI like a search engine — ask a question, get an answer, walk away. But if you actually want it to work for you properly, you need to set the foundations right.
Here's exactly how I set up Gemini at AI Academy. Takes 5 minutes. Saves you hours every week.
1. Tell It Who You Are (The "Brain Transplant")
Before you start any chat, you need to give Gemini some context about you and your business. Look for the Memory or Personal Intelligence setting in your account.
Think of this as your "Business Bible." Tell it you're a business owner in Southport. Mention your experience. Tell it your goals and your audience.
Why this matters: You never have to repeat yourself again. Every new chat already knows your tone, your audience, and what you're trying to achieve. It's like briefing a new employee once instead of every single morning.
2. Know Your Toolbox (The 2026 Features)
Gemini isn't just one tool anymore — it's a whole workshop. Quick guide to what's under the bonnet:
Nano Banana 2: The speed demon. Quick image generation, rapid-fire edits to marketing visuals. Fast, sharp, brilliant for social media graphics.
Veo: Your video department. Describe a scene — like a walk-through of your new office — and it generates proper video with sound effects. Still early days, but impressive.
Deep Research: Your private investigator. Instead of one quick answer, it goes away, reads 50+ sources, and comes back with a full report. Proper research, not just the first Google result.
Canvas: Your design studio. Opens a side panel where you can edit code, write long documents, or build presentations without leaving the chat.
3. Keep It Organised (Folders and Gems)
If you're anything like me, you'll end up with 100 chats in a long, messy list. Here's how to avoid that:
Conversation Folders: Group your chats by topic. I've got folders for "Web Builds," "Social Strategy," and "Workshop Planning." Keeps the clutter down so your brain can focus.
Gems: Think of these as pre-loaded custom versions of Gemini for tasks you do every week. If you write a blog post every Monday, create a Gem that already knows your brand voice, your audience, and your tone. One click and it's ready to go — no re-briefing needed.
The Phil Gee Expert Tip
Don't be afraid to have multiple chats open for the same project. Use a Deep Research chat to gather the facts, then switch to Canvas to build the actual blog post or website. Different tools for different phases — same project.
The setup takes 5 minutes. What it saves you? That's up to you.