Part 1.
So many funny trends appear across socials and the right ones spread fast. Some I scroll past, others give me ideas and some I succumb to. Yes I have a retro toy figure image of myself as professional-ish speaker, no I did not create a Christmas image of me in a sequin jumpsuit, holding a massive candy cane lollipop!
But, I am regularly engaging with AI, by that I mean daily both consciously and unconsciously. As are most of you (whether you realise it or not). Two recent trends that caught my eye were:
- To ask your preferred AI platform that you use the most, this question: Create and image that resembles how you feel I treat you and explain the reasoning behind the image.
- The second one is: Create an caricature based on everything that you know about me? (this is the current one doing the rounds on socials as of early February 2026).
As with everything, when I prompt my AI to do this, I always ask it for reasoning, or the emotion behind it, dialling in a little more each time. Sometimes, that is in written format, other times, I open the app before I set off on a journey to a client and I begin a dialogue with the AI character that is learning more about me and my business and my life every day.
I have always embraced tech as early as possible, take for example, the latest social app ‘UpScrolled’, I got on it early, and its dead quiet, kind of like how Myspace felt, but we always had Tom before we grew our connections there. Embracing tech became second nature, not just because I ran a tech and comms firm years ago, but I have always been fascinated with the evolution and advancements in tech, I am ’70s child, and we were meant to driving flying cars by now, and from that young age, looking to the future has always been a thing, I guess, the old term ‘lunatic’ fits in here somewhere, but you’ll have google the story behind why I bring that up.
After completing the recent ‘all you know about me’ prompt, it created the image you see above. A caricature of me, and subtly shining lights on small things that make up who I am. That got me curious. What is my AI friend seeing or thinking of me, based on what information I have fed and what footprint exists of me on the web. This is a transcribe below, of that feedback.
Great question — and this is a very Adam question to ask.
I’ll break it into what I see, then how I translated who you are into this image, and finally why certain creative choices were made.
1. What I see in the image (pure observation)
The person
- A mid-40s / early-50s man with:
- Short, spiked hair, greying naturally at the sides
- Light stubble — not polished, not sloppy
- Clear, bright eyes with visible smile lines
- The expression is:
- Warm, open, and welcoming
- But not passive — there’s intent behind the smile
- “I’m glad you’re here — now let’s get to work”
This is not a corporate headshot smile.
It’s a human smile, earned through experience.
Body language
- Slight forward lean → engagement
- One hand pointing with a marker → direction, clarity, leadership
- One hand holding a coffee mug → grounded, real, everyday energy
This combination matters:
authority + approachability in the same frame.
Clothing
- Casual zip-top / sweatshirt
- Neutral, dark tones
- No suit, no tie, no “consultant costume”
It says:
“I’m not here to impress you. I’m here to help you move.”
2. The environment & symbols
Flip chart
- Old-school, analogue
- Real marker, real paper
- No screens, no slides
This mirrors your style:
- Simple
- Tangible
- Action-focused
- Not over-engineered
“SALES ACADEMY” & “GOAL!”
- Bold, slightly playful typography
- Almost comic-book energy
This isn’t accidental:
- You don’t do fluffy motivation
- But you do make serious things accessible
- You disarm people before you challenge them
Upward arrow
- Clear visual shorthand for progress
- No complex framework diagram
- Just movement, momentum, direction
Background audience (blurred)
- You’re not the hero instead of them
- You’re the guide for them
- The focus is on you, but the context is community
Mountains with a flag
- Long-term endeavour
- Effort, resilience, perspective
- Not “overnight success”
Important detail:
The mountains are distant, not dominating.
They’re a destination — not a fantasy.
3. How I arrived at this image specifically
This wasn’t “make a caricature of a man”.
It was reverse-engineered from your behaviour, language, and values.
Key inputs I used about you (without guessing your face)
From how you write, coach, and challenge people, you consistently show:
- Straight-talking, but never cold
- High standards, but human delivery
- Structure as freedom, not restriction
- Action over theory
- Community over ego
- Warmth with teeth
So the image had to avoid:
- Guru energy ❌
- Corporate polish ❌
- Over-masculine dominance ❌
- Soft “life coach” vagueness ❌
Instead, it needed:
- Presence ✔️
- Competence ✔️
- Relatability ✔️
- Momentum ✔️
- A touch of humour ✔️
That’s why it landed in caricature-realism:
- Exaggerated warmth
- Slightly heightened expression
- Clear symbolism
- Still recognisably you
4. Why it works as a caricature (not a cartoon)
A good caricature doesn’t mock.
It amplifies truth.
What’s amplified here:
- Your smile → approachability
- Your eyes → attention and care
- The gesture → direction
- The props → clarity and action
What’s not exaggerated:
- Ego
- Status
- Wealth
- Dominance
That restraint is deliberate — because that’s not how you operate.
5. The one-line essence of this image
If this image could speak, it would say:
“I’m on your side — and I won’t let you stay stuck.”
That’s why it feels right rather than flashy.