06/18/2026
Recently, I shared a post about being a small business owner and how the reputation you build is the reputation you earn. The point of that post was simple: the way you treat people matters, your actions matter, and the reputation attached to your business is built over time through consistency, integrity, and hard work.
What surprised me was that a significant amount of the conversation shifted away from that message and focused instead on my use of AI.
I’ve received quite a bit of criticism for utilizing AI in my business, and while that wasn’t the point of my original post at all, I feel like this needs to be said.
I completely respect that everyone has their own opinions about AI. As a small business owner, I work seven days a week and often put in 15-hour days. I’m not just the owner—I’m also the administrative assistant, event planner, organizer, marketer, customer service representative, bookkeeper, problem solver, and countless other roles that come with running a small business.
The reality is that small business ownership requires wearing a lot of hats. Every day is a balancing act between serving customers, managing operations, supporting staff, planning for the future, and somehow still making time for the people I love most.
With the cost of everything continuing to rise, I have to be intentional about where I spend my time and resources. If using AI helps me streamline tasks like social media, marketing, brainstorming, or organizing my thoughts without significantly impacting our budget, then that’s a tool I’m comfortable using. It allows me to focus my energy on serving my customers, growing my business, creating experiences for our community, and spending what little free time I have with my husband and children.
Small business owners have always relied on tools to help manage the countless responsibilities that come with running a business. No one questions the use of accounting software, scheduling software, online ordering systems, or design platforms because they help businesses operate more efficiently. AI is simply another tool that helps me save time, stay organized, and accomplish more in a day.
What AI does not do is replace the passion, creativity, values, decision-making, customer service, relationships, or heart behind this business. It doesn’t greet customers, solve problems, stay late when things go wrong, plan community events, support local causes, or make the sacrifices required to keep a small business running. Those things still come from me.
My customers deserve my best energy. If using technology helps me spend less time staring at a screen and more time serving customers, supporting my staff, creating memorable experiences, and being present for my family, then I believe that’s a responsible choice.
At the end of the day, everyone is free to decide where they spend their money. If someone’s decision to support a small business hinges on whether I use a tool to help manage the workload of running that business, that is certainly their choice.
As for me, I’ll continue focusing on what matters most: serving our customers, supporting our community, taking care of my family, and building a reputation that is earned through hard work, authenticity, and the way we treat people every single day.
