Episode Overview

Podcast: Earn Your Leisure
Episode: How Tech & AI Are Changing Small Business
Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings
Release Date: September 27, 2025

This episode explores how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the way small businesses operate, scale, and serve their communities. The conversation features entrepreneurs from various backgrounds discussing the real-world impact of AI, automation, digital tools, and team adaptation—shedding light on everything from using AI chatbots for customer recommendations to leveraging point-of-sale systems and data collection for growth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Adapting to Technology in Small Business

[01:30–03:38]

• Challenge of Adoption:
  • An “auntie” figure within the business humorously shares the generational struggle with new tech.
  • "[I] consider myself the oldest one around here. And as you know, older people don't like that stuff." – D ([01:44])
• Team Support:
  • Younger team members often teach senior staff how to use new point-of-sale (POS) systems (specifically Square).
• Continuous Learning:
  • Frustration with software updates and learning curves, but also recognition that this process is necessary:
    • "But then when I learn it, When I learn it, then they change something." – D ([04:01])

AI and Automation in Customer Experience

[01:58–04:11]

• AI Chatbot for Recommendations:
  • Small tea business integrated a robot on their website: customers answer prompts (vibe, flavor, needs) and get product recommendations.
  • Impact:
    • Increased sales, added upsells, streamlined staffing needs.
    • "That has helped us. One, it has increased the sales so much... and leaning into it to allow technology to be a part of it and take things off our plate." – E ([02:33])
• Email and Customer Service Automation:
  • Use of Gmail Suite's built-in assistants to automate common responses, reducing need for extra hires.
• Balancing Tech and Human Touch:
  • Despite automation, business owners remain hands-on, doing everything from customer service to back-of-house.
    • "Whether or not we use technology, some things we can't replace technology for, we can't replace our personalities." – E ([04:11])

Enhancing Operations and Data Collection

[05:11–05:46]

• Low-Tech Approach with Gradual Advancements:
  • Some businesses use Square POS systems, especially for mobile, pop-up events.
  • Focused on improving data collection for storytelling, grants, and community engagement, but still exploring best practices.
    • "We're just trying to figure out how to enhance our data collection... it's really more like in research and development right now." – F ([05:11])

Embracing AI for Strategy and Growth

[05:46–END]

• Personal Productivity and ‘Superpowers’:
  • AI described as “kryptonite” for overcoming operational weaknesses.
  • Used ChatGPT for business planning and franchise development.
    • "As a creator, I'm creative... but how do I make sure this strategy is going to lead to millions. Oh, that's a prompt. Make sure it leads to millions." – C ([05:58])
    • "I built Black box franchising using ChatGPT prompts... I followed the steps. We got there after four months and I'm not making this up." – C ([06:17])
• Encouragement for Universal Adoption:
  • Strong advice for businesses to embrace AI before falling behind.
    • "If you still don't know what we're talking about, it's already like, yeah, man, kind of too late." – C ([07:05])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Technology Reluctance:
  • "I consider myself the oldest one around here. And as you know, older people don't like that stuff." – D ([01:44])
• On AI-Driven Sales Growth:
  • "It has increased the sales so much, we can go back and be like, wow, like, they actually bought this extra tea." – E ([02:27])
• On Automating Operations:
  • "You have a little assistant right there that comes with your Gmail. Now, if you're using Gmail Suite, and it'll do it for you..." – E ([03:13])
• On AI-Enabling Human Superpowers:
  • "It's like the kryptonite that I needed... the things I lacked now I can get from AI to attach to what I... can create." – C ([05:51])
• On AI-Powered Planning:
  • "I built Black box franchising using ChatGPT prompts and I reverse engineered. So this is how much I want to make the first year. Now how do I do this? Give me all the steps. I followed the steps. We got there after four months and I'm not making this up." – C ([06:17])
• On Being Present, Tech or No Tech:
  • "Whether or not we use technology, some things we can't replace technology for, we can't replace our personalities." – E ([04:11])
• On the Urgency of Adopting AI:
  • "If you still don't know what we're talking about, it's already like, yeah, man, kind of too late." – C ([07:05])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:30] – Hosts open panel on how tech is impacting business models
• [01:44] – Generational tech struggles and team adaptation
• [02:33] – How AI recommendations directly increased sales
• [03:13] – Automation and tech easing administrative burdens
• [04:11] – Balancing tech, human touch, and showing up for customers
• [05:11] – Data collection strategies for storytelling and grants
• [05:46] – Using AI and prompts for business strategy and rapid growth
• [07:05] – Urging business owners not to wait any longer to embrace AI

Tone and Takeaways

Throughout the conversation, the tone is candid, supportive, and sprinkled with humor, especially as guests confront the messiness and learning curves of tech adoption. There’s a clear consensus that while adopting technology and AI can be daunting, the benefits—sales growth, efficiency, data insights—are too significant to ignore. The panelists encourage small business owners to experiment, lean on team strengths, and always keep their unique personalities front and center, even as automation increases. Tech is powerful, but human experience is irreplaceable.