Articles
Insights.
What I think about while I'm doing the work.
AI With Benefits
AI is starting to do real jobs in small businesses. So is it a tool or an employee? Here's why managing AI like staff makes sense, minus the dental plan.
Who Owns Your AI's Memory?
The more your AI knows about your business, the harder it is to switch. Here's why your AI's memory is a business asset, and how to keep it portable.
AI Zeus: God of Productivity
I call my AI orchestration layer Zeus. Here’s how agentic AI coordinates specialized tools so small businesses can get more done—with human judgment still in charge.
Nobody Ever Got Fired for Buying IBM. What About AI?
My dad was an IBM man, and “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” stuck with me. Here’s how I think about choosing AI tools without getting locked in.
Getting Weird With AI
I use unusual roles, odd constraints and ongoing conversation to get unstuck with AI. Here are five exercises to spark ideas—and how I evaluate them.
Tickle My Funny Bone
I thought AI would recycle old jokes. Instead I spent a morning trading punchlines with my AI assistant, and learning what humour looks like when you collaborate.
Is Intelligence a Commodity?
Most AI debates start with supply: what work a model can replace. What if cheaper intelligence also creates more demand for thinking, projects, and ambition?
Are They Real or Fake?
We've accepted fake flowers, Auto-Tune and CGI for years. So why does AI feel different? Where the real line sits, and what it means for your business.
Build a Command Centre
From the fridge to the war room: how I'd build an AI command centre that connects your email, calendar and software so you can run your business from anywhere.
I'm Not a Robot: Time to Stop the Discrimination
That little checkbox keeps bots out, but what about the people who rely on them? Why websites should judge what an AI assistant is doing, not just what it is.
The Little Black Book
It's not just what you know, it's who you know. How AI can help you rediscover your network and turn cold calls into warm introductions.
Your Data Is in Prison. AI Has the Keys.
Your spreadsheets, invoices and estimates already hold answers. Here's how AI can help a small business unlock the data it has, one question at a time.
Collective Soul or Vulcan Mind Meld?
Are science and spirituality discovering the same universal intelligence from opposite directions? Carl Jung, neural networks, and what AI means for collective intelligence.
How to Start a Career in AI
You don't need to build AI to work in it. Pair AI skills with what you already know, prove it with real work, and find a problem worth solving.
Prompt a Better Prompt
You don't need to be a prompt engineer. Give AI a clear job, context, examples and limits, then turn the answer into a conversation.
Hey Zoe, Make Me Rich — No Tricks Please
I asked my AI assistant to make me rich. Here's what AI can and can't do to help an ordinary person build wealth, with no get-rich-quick tricks.
THINK: When Every Mind Has Superpowers
My father's IBM desk sign said one word: THINK. Here's why that old advice matters more than ever now that AI can extend what one mind can do.
Can of AI Spinach — One Guy Can Take on the World and Win
AI won't give you superpowers, but it can give a one-person business the capabilities of a much bigger team. Here's how to think bigger.
The Leap of Faith Quandary
How I went from fearing agentic AI on my computer to trusting it with real work, what a self-driving Tesla taught me about control, and why the water's fine.
Real-Time Search: When AI Starts Finding Out What's Really Available
Google's "Have AI check pricing" calls local businesses to ask about price and availability. Here's what it means for shoppers, and why a missed call costs you the job.
From Grindstone to Joyride: How AI Is Making Drudgery Fun
How a virtual team of AI assistants took over my support chats and domain transfers, and turned the chores I used to put off into something I look forward to.
I'll Get My AI to Call Your AI
From smoke signals to AI assistants that talk to each other: how AI is changing the way we communicate, and why it could free up time for the conversations that matter.
What Comes After the Website?
Your next customer may be researched by an AI agent that never sees your homepage. Why your website's job is changing, and why your domain matters more.
Notion Is More Than a Notion
Most owners have never heard of Notion. Here's why I use it as the shared memory for all my AI tools, so I can switch providers without losing anything.
Your Business Doesn't Have to Keep You Chained to a Chair
AI conversations let me move my business forward from the sofa, the backyard or a walk. Here's how to delegate, review and work away from the desk.
Page One of Google Isn't the Finish Line Anymore
Ranking on page one still matters, but it isn't the goal. Here's how to get on the shortlist when AI and search answer before anyone clicks.
The Most Natural Interface for Artificial Intelligence Is the One We've Had All Along
For decades we learned the computer's language. Now it's learning ours. Why conversation, not commands, is the real AI breakthrough for small business.
The AI Champion Effect: How One Person Can Spark a Revolution in the Workplace
Discover how one AI champion can inspire an entire workplace to embrace artificial intelligence through practical demonstrations and shared discoveries.
I Didn't Ask AI to Write This Article. We Wrote It Together.
I don't ask AI to write my articles. I chat with it. Here's my voice-conversation process for creating original content that still sounds like me.
When Everything Sounds Artificial, Being Human Is Your Superpower
When AI makes every business look polished, trust and real people stand out. What small businesses should automate, and what to keep unmistakably human.
R.I.P. WordPress? Is WordPress Dying in 2026?
WordPress has slipped from 43% to about 40% of all websites. After 15 years building on it, here's what that means for small businesses, and what I use now.
You Paid for the Lead. Your Competitor Closed the Deal.
Your ads worked and the lead came in, but a competitor answered first. Here's how small businesses lose paid leads after hours, and how to fix it.
I’m Spending Money on Marketing. So Why Isn’t the Phone Ringing?
Before you spend another dollar on ads, check the whole chain: tracking, targeting, landing pages, follow-up and reputation. Fix the weak link first.
Email Marketing Isn’t Dead. But Trust Is Harder to Earn.
Email marketing still works for small businesses, but the bar has gone up. Start with existing customers, keep cold outreach small, stay compliant, and give before you ask.
I Had 3 Google Reviews After 31 Years in Business. Then I Finally Asked.
After more than 31 years in business I had three Google reviews. One honest email to my clients took me to 13 in under 24 hours, with no incentives. Here's exactly what I sent.
It's Not Just a Smarter Google
Agentic AI doesn't just answer questions, it does the work. How small business owners can hand off 10 to 20 percent of their day, starting with the small, annoying jobs.
Give AI a Job and Get More from the Same 24 Hours
Most owners use AI to answer questions. The real payoff comes from giving it a recurring job, like sorting email or preparing appointment times, while you keep the decisions.
Your Website Is Your 24/7 Salesperson. Is It Showing Up for Work?
Most owners judge their website by how it looks. Visitors judge it by how fast it loads. Here's what a website performance audit actually checks, and what I fixed on my own site.