I built an AI C-suite to help me run my small business. As a creative, I was hesitant to use AI, but it's helpful for certain things.
A small business owner shares her experience using AI tools like Claude to manage various departments of her bath-and-body company. While initially hesitant, she now uses AI as a supportive tool to help scale her operations without sacrificing her creative freedom.
Why it matters
It highlights the practical application of generative AI for small business owners and 'solopreneurs' looking to improve operational efficiency.
Sara Russell uses AI to help her run her marketing, sales, finance, and product development departments. Rose Gaffney/Loving Local NYC Sara Russell took her bath-and-body business full-time after being laid off in 2023. She was hesitant to use AI until she started using Claude to help run her business. She said AI's negative impacts could reach a tipping point that would make her stop using it. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara Russell, a 37-year-old small business founder based in Brooklyn, NY. It's been edited for length and clarity. I've known about AI for a while, but I was always hesitant to use it. I don't want it to take away my creative freedom. I've run my small bath-and-body business full-time since 2023, and the creative side of the business has never been a problem for me.
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