Interactive Workshop

Build Your AI
Chief of Staff

Stop repeating yourself to AI. Build a system that knows you, connects to your real apps, and actually runs your life.

A free ~20-minute walkthrough to turn Claude into a personal chief of staff that remembers you — no coding required. You'll need a Claude Pro plan ($20/mo) or Max ($100/mo).

By Bella Pivo · You'll leave with a working system · Mac, Windows, or Linux

Bella Pivo

Built by Bella Pivo

Analyst @ FoundersEdge · Content creator · bellapivo.com

Read my story

I have 10+ years in content creation and I'd describe myself as highly creative but non-technical.

When my boss Greg Raiz (Co-GP of FoundersEdge) showed our team how a few friends had turned Claude Code into an executive assistant, I was hooked. Watching him convert everything — emails, CRMs, meeting prep — I knew I needed this in every facet of my life. From sourcing deals to running my social media, tracking nutrition to managing relationships, I now wake up with Claude. I literally say good morning to Claude, and good night to Claude. (Read Greg's original walkthrough on his blog, or find him on LinkedIn.)

This workshop is my spin on helping non-technical people learn to build these tools — while actually building them. Plug-and-play. You'll walk out with a personalized Claude system plus an understanding of how to keep building on it.

Before We Start

What's your vibe?

Pick the one that fits. This changes what I show you.

🌱

New to this

I use ChatGPT or Claude sometimes. I've never opened Terminal. "MCP" means nothing to me.

Full walkthrough
🔧

Builder

I use AI daily. I've maybe opened Terminal once. I want to go deeper but don't know how.

Guided setup
🚀

Power user

I vibe-code or actually code. I know Terminal. Just show me the COS framework and let me build.

Fast track
The Problem

AI right now is like hiring an assistant
who gets amnesia every day

🔄

Re-explain your life
every conversation

Your COS loads a file that tells AI who you are, what you do, and how you work. Every single time.

🏝️

AI lives on an island.
Can't touch your real apps.

Plugins connect your COS to Gmail, Calendar, Notion, health data, and more. Real integrations, not copy-paste.

🤖

Generic advice.
Not YOUR advice.

Memory files + custom rules = responses tailored to your actual life, preferences, and priorities.

😅

You become the assistant
to the AI

Your COS builds tools, tracks context, and runs workflows. You give direction, it executes.

Tap each card to see how COS fixes it

Key Concept

Not all Claude is the same

This is the #1 thing people don't understand. There are 3 ways to use Claude — and one is way more powerful.

What most people use

Claude.ai / ChatGPT

  • Chat in a browser window
  • Forgets everything between sessions
  • Can't access your real apps
  • Good for quick questions
💬 Chatbot

Good for: one-off questions and brainstorming

Better

Claude Desktop

  • App on your computer
  • Can connect to some tools
  • Limited memory/projects
  • Better but still limited
📱 Assistant

Good for: quick tasks with a few app connections

What we're building

Claude Code (Terminal)

  • Lives on your actual computer
  • Reads/writes files, builds tools
  • Connects to ALL your apps
  • Remembers everything across sessions
  • Custom skills & routines
🧠 Chief of Staff

Good for: running your whole workflow · Requires Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100/mo)

Terminal 101

Terminal is just a text box for your computer

That's literally it. Instead of clicking icons, you type commands. It looks scary but it's not.

Terminal — your COS lives here
~ cos ← launch your AI Chief of Staff
╭──────────────────────────────────────╮
│ Welcome back! Loading your COS... │
│ Reading CLAUDE.md ✓ │
│ Loading memory ✓ │
╰──────────────────────────────────────╯
claude> /cos ← launch your morning routine
☀️ Good morning! Here's your day...
How to open Terminal: Mac → Cmd+Space → type "Terminal" → hit Enter. Windows → search "PowerShell" in Start menu.
Every day you'll: Open Terminal → type cos to launch → then type /cos inside Claude to start your day
Important: cos (no slash) opens your COS. /cos (with slash) runs your morning routine inside Claude. They look similar but they're two different things!
The Framework

3 layers. That's the whole thing.

People get confused by the jargon. Here's what actually matters:

1

CLAUDE.md + Memory

CLAUDE.md is a simple text file (like a Word doc, but simpler) that tells AI who you are, your rules, your people. Plus memory files that persist between sessions so it never forgets.

Your brain
2

Connections (MCPs)

Plugins that let your COS see and use your real apps — Google Calendar, Gmail, Notion, etc. Think of them like giving your assistant login access.

Your app access
3

Skills

Slash commands you create (like /cos or /prep) that tell your COS what to do. A skill can use your connections and memory together.

Your workflows
See how they work together: Meeting Prep
1
You connect Google Calendar (that's an MCP). Now your COS can see your schedule.
↓
2
You say "build me a personal CRM." Claude creates files in your memory folder to track people, meeting notes, and follow-ups.
↓
3
You create a /prep skill. Before any meeting, you type /prep and it reads your calendar, pulls up notes on everyone in the meeting, checks recent emails, and gives you talking points.
↓
4
After the meeting, your COS asks for notes and updates your CRM automatically. Next time you meet that person, it remembers everything.

Connection (Calendar MCP) + Memory (your CRM) + Skill (/prep) = a system that compounds over time.

Building CLAUDE.md

Tell it who you are

Write 2-3 sentences. Don't overthink it — you can always edit later.

📄 CLAUDE.md — Live Preview
# Your AI Chief of Staff

## The Job
Help [your name] execute on what matters.

## About Me
[Fill in the fields on the left →]
Building CLAUDE.md

Set your hard rules

Non-negotiable boundaries. Check what applies, add your own.

📄 CLAUDE.md — Live Preview
Loading...
Building CLAUDE.md

Who matters most?

List the people your AI should know about. Family, partner, coworkers, friends.

📄 CLAUDE.md — Live Preview
Loading...
Integrations (MCPs)

What apps should your COS connect to?

Pick the ones you use. This doesn't install anything yet — it just notes what you want so we can set them up after your COS is running.

📅

Google Calendar

See schedule, create events, find free time

📧

Gmail

Search, read, draft emails

📝

Notion

Manage databases, pages, tasks

💪

Whoop / Health

Recovery, strain, sleep data

💬

Slack

Read and send messages

📁

Google Drive

Search and manage files

🐙

GitHub

Issues, PRs, repos

🍎

Apple Notes

Read and create notes

Daily Structure

Design your ideal day

What should your COS do when you start and end each day?

Morning startup

Evening checkout

☀️ Morning
Show calendar
Top 3 priorities
What's the ONE thing?
🔥 Your day
Focus check-ins
Smart reminders
Meeting prep
🌙 Evening
What got done
Open loops
Setup

Let's get this running on your computer

Don't panic. We'll do this one step at a time. Copy and paste each command.

You cannot break your computer doing this. You're copying and pasting 4 commands — takes about 5 minutes. Everything here can be uninstalled in one line. Thousands of non-technical people have done this. You've got this.

I've never opened Terminal before — start here

What Terminal is: a text-based way to talk to your computer. Instead of clicking buttons, you type commands. That's it. No hidden danger — it's just a chat window with your machine.

How to open it:

  • Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", hit Enter.
  • Windows: Click Start, type "PowerShell", hit Enter.

How to paste: Cmd+V (Mac) or Ctrl+V / right-click (Windows). Then press Enter to run.

What "working" looks like: text scrolls by. Some of it might look scary. As long as the last line doesn't say ERROR or ERR!, you're fine.

Still nervous? That's normal. Everyone feels this way the first time. Do it anyway — you'll feel like a wizard in ten minutes.

1

Get a Claude account

You need a Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Claude Max ($100/mo) plan. Go to claude.ai, create an account, and subscribe. This is what powers your COS.

Free tier won't work — you need Pro or Max for Claude Code.

2

Install Claude Code

Open Terminal (Mac: Cmd+Space → type "Terminal". Windows: search "PowerShell" in Start menu). Then paste this:

Terminal — here's exactly what you'll see
~$ npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
⠋ fetching packages...
⠙ resolving dependencies...
added 127 packages in 14s
~$ claude
✓ Claude Code ready
› type your first message...
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Something went wrong? Top 3 fixes
1. npm: command not found

You don't have Node.js installed yet. Go to nodejs.org, download the LTS version, run the installer (click through the defaults), then close Terminal completely and reopen it. Try the install command again.

2. permission denied or EACCES

Your computer is being cautious. Run the same command with sudo in front:

sudo npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

It'll ask for your Mac password. Type it (you won't see dots as you type — that's normal) and hit Enter.

3. claude: command not found after install worked

The install succeeded but Terminal doesn't know where to find it yet. Close Terminal completely and reopen it. Nine times out of ten, that fixes it. If not, try npx claude instead.

Still stuck? Copy the exact error message, paste it into Claude (claude.ai), and ask "what does this mean and how do I fix it?" — Claude is unreasonably good at this.

3

Launch Claude & paste the setup prompt

Type claude in Terminal to launch it. Then paste the setup prompt below (Cmd+V on Mac, Ctrl+V on Windows) — it creates your entire COS (folders, memory files, CLAUDE.md, and your first skills) automatically.

claude

Wait for Claude to finish building everything. When it's done, type /exit to quit.

4

Create your shortcut

Now that your COS folder exists, paste this into Terminal to create a one-word shortcut:

echo 'alias cos="cd ~/MyCOS && claude"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc

Nothing will visibly happen — that's normal! It worked silently. To test it, type cos and hit Enter.
On Windows? Use PowerShell instead: Set-Alias cos "cd ~/MyCOS; claude"
On Linux or older Mac? Replace .zshrc with .bashrc

5

You're done! From now on:

Every day, just open Terminal and type:

cos

That launches Claude. Then inside Claude, type /cos to start your morning routine.

cos = opens your COS (Terminal command). /cos = runs your morning routine (inside Claude). Two different things!

Your First Session

Here's what happens when you launch

Terminal — MyCOS
~cos
Reading CLAUDE.md... ✓
Loading memory... ✓

Hey! I see this is our first session. I've read your
CLAUDE.md and I know who you are. What are you
working on today?

you>Help me build a morning startup routine

Great! Based on your CLAUDE.md, here's what I'd
suggest for your morning startup skill...

Great first things to say:

"What should I focus on today?" "Help me draft an email to [client name]" "Connect my Google Calendar" "Remember that [important detail about your work]"
Optional: Customize Your Routines

Want to tweak your routines?

Your setup prompt already created /cos and /checkout for you. This step is optional — use it if you want to customize what those routines do, or skip ahead.

☀️ Morning Startup
🌙 Evening Checkout
📋 Weekly Planning
🎯 Meeting Prep
💬 Want to customize further? Paste this into Claude
Loading...

How this works:

  1. Open Terminal → type cos
  2. Paste this prompt
  3. Claude creates the skill for you automatically
  4. From now on, just type /cos to run it
Your First Connection

Let's connect Google Calendar

This is the most useful first connection. Once your COS can see your schedule, skills like /cos and /prep become way more powerful.

1

Go to your Claude.ai settings

Open claude.ai in your browser → click your name (bottom left) → Settings → Connectors

You need a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) for connectors.

2

Add Google Calendar

Click "Add connector" → choose Google Calendar → sign in with your Google account and authorize it.

3

That's it — it's automatic

When you launch Claude Code (logged into the same account), the calendar connection is already available. Type /mcp inside Claude to verify.

/mcp
Same process for Gmail, Google Drive, and other connectors. Just add them in Claude.ai Settings → Connectors. They'll automatically show up in Claude Code.

Want to connect something else?

The easiest path: just ask Claude. Inside Claude Code, say:

💬

Just ask

"Connect my Notion" or "Set up a connection to Slack" — Claude will find the right plugin and walk you through installing it. You don't need to search for anything yourself.

You did it 🎉

Your COS is ready to launch

Copy your setup prompt, paste it into Claude, and you're running.

Your setup prompt already has everything baked in. But if you want a copy of your CLAUDE.md for reference, grab it below.

🚀 First time setup (done once):

1. Subscribe at claude.ai (Pro $20/mo)
2. Install Node.js (nodejs.org)
3. Open Terminal, paste install command
4. Type: claude
5. Paste the setup prompt
6. Type: /exit, then set up cos shortcut

🔁 Your daily workflow:

1. Open Terminal
2. cos  (launches your COS)
3. /cos  (morning routine)
4. ... work with your COS all day ...
5. /checkout  (evening wrap-up)
6. /exit  (quit Claude)

Your #1 next step: Connect your Google apps

Go to claude.ai → Settings → Connectors → add Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Drive. Once connected, your COS can actually see your schedule and emails when you type /cos.

Week 1: Just talk to it daily. Let it learn you.

Week 2: Connect your apps (Calendar, Gmail, Drive).

Week 3: Ask it to build your first custom tool.

Month 2+: Watch it compound. It gets smarter every day.

3 layers. That's the whole system.

1. CLAUDE.md + Memory

A simple text file that tells your AI who you are, your rules, your people. Memory files persist between sessions so it never forgets.

2. Connections (Plugins)

Plugins let your COS see and use your real apps — Google Calendar, Gmail, etc. Like giving your assistant login access.

3. Skills

Slash commands you create (like /cos or /prep) that tell your COS what to do. Skills use your connections + memory together.

Example: Meeting Prep

  1. Connect Google Calendar — now your COS sees your schedule
  2. Say "build me a personal CRM" — Claude creates memory files to track people and notes
  3. Create a /prep skill — before any meeting, it pulls up notes, checks emails, gives talking points
  4. After the meeting — your COS asks for notes and updates the CRM automatically

The magic: Connection + Memory + Skill = a system that compounds over time.

Created by Bella Pivo · bellapivo.com · @bella.pivo

© 2026 Bella Pivo. All rights reserved. This educational content, including the COS framework, methodology, and interactive builder, is the intellectual property of Bella Pivo. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use is prohibited without written permission.

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