How A Silly Tower Defense Game (That I Built In 2 Weeks) Changed Everything About My Work With AI

Hexagons Are The Bestagons!

I hit “run” on my game for the final test before I submitted it for review. It was 4am. My eyes burned from staring at lines of Python code. My wife was soundly asleep. My heart pounded with excitement.

The game? "Hexagons Are the Bestagagons." A ridiculous name, I know. But it was MINE.

It was a tower defense game where players had to write Python code to program their hexagon towers to shoot down enemy circles (I didn’t have the time to add triangles or squares, or the dreaded septagon!). The challenge? Teaching people to code through PLAY.

I built it during a 2 week game jam, fueled by nothing but passion and problem-solving. And honestly? The tutorial sucked. The game was way too complicated. It wasn’t perfect. But I had done it.

The next day, I started to have a realization…

All my life, I have believed that learning happens fastest when you’re in a state of play. That when we are engaged, excited, and having fun, we absorb knowledge like sponges. And yet, for so long, I had run away from my love for gaming and play.

Why?

Why had I been playing by the “rules” of traditional teaching instead of leaning into what I loved?

These thoughts led me to an amazing realization: My IMPACT grows when I bring more of ME into my work.

The Ultimate Impact Model: Bringing More of YOU Into What You Create

That game was more than just a fun experiment. I now realize it was a manifestation of my ultimate impact model.

And if you want to make a real impact with your content—whether it’s through AI, business, or teaching—you have to fearlessly bring more of YOU into what you create.

Here’s how:

1. Passion Is the Engine

If you’re not excited about what you’re creating, you won’t stick with it. Your passion fuels consistency. What do you love so much that you’d do it even if no one paid you for it?

For me, it was gaming, coding, and teaching through play. What is it for you?

2. Your Why Is the Foundation

Your “why” is bigger than your passion. It’s the reason behind the passion.

For me, it’s preparing the world for my kids. I want my children to learn, explore, and thrive in a world where AI helps them, not replaces them. That’s why I teach. That’s why I BUILD.

Your why is shaped by your stories, your experiences, and the changes you’ve made for yourself. It’s the moments of struggle, growth, and transformation that drive you forward. Build a list of these! Practice TELLING them! This is the only reason for my podcast: to practice telling stories and teaching.

3. Your Results Are the Proof

Your impact isn’t just about what you love or why you do it—it’s about the real TRANSFORMATIONS you create for others.

And that’s what truly cements your authority.

Since I started fully embracing my Ultimate Impact Model, I’ve helped countless mission-driven coaches and consultants do the same. I’ve coached AI specialists, educators, business owners, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and more to use AI to amplify their impact—not replace them, but enhance their unique greatness.

• I guided a hiring expert to merge wellness and mindfulness into her workshops, so job seekers could step into interviews with confidence and clarity.

• I helped a salesperson use ChatGPT to scrape phone numbers so he could just get on calls (and ultimately land himself a new job).

• I’ve taught creators how to use AI to automate the tedious parts of content creation, freeing them to focus on what they love.

These are real results.

What are the results you’ve created for others? If you haven’t created any yet, start now. Start helping. Start serving. And as your impact grows, so will your influence.

How My Epiphany Changed Everything

Ever since that game, I’ve stopped trying to “fit in” with what content is supposed to look like. Now, everything I create has more of ME in it.

And the more I’ve done that, the more impact I’ve had. More engagement. More clients. More people drawn to my work—not because I followed some formula, but because they connected with who I am.

So let me ask you:

How can you put more of YOU into the content you create?

How can you bring your passions, your why, and your proven results—fearlessly—into what you put out into the world?

If you don’t know the answer yet, start asking AI. Use AI to help you uncover the most authentic, impactful version of your work.

If you need help, my Epiphany Bridge Ghostwriter can help you find your stories and write them in an engaging way (this post was written with his help!)

Let’s put US into the world friend!

Your AI Coach,
Sterling Long!