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 in Brooklyn created a C-suite filled with AI agents to help run her business, but she refuses to use AI for creative work.
Sara Russell, a 37-year-old small business owner from Brooklyn, NY, built an AI "C-suite" to assist her in managing her bath-and-body business. Initially hesitant to employ AI due to concerns about losing her creativity, Russell found value in using Claude, an AI platform, to streamline her company's operations.
After being laid off from her full-time marketing job in 2023, Russell transitioned her bath-and-body business to full-time operation. However, she struggled to understand the logistics of running a company, finding it difficult to grasp concepts such as SEO, Google Analytics, and sales terminology. To overcome this challenge, Russell utilized Claude to create separate projects for each business department, including marketing, sales, finance, and product development.
By organizing these projects like a C-suite but treating the output as that of an entry-level employee, Russell could delegate tasks to Claude without relinquishing control. For instance, her "CFO project" helped her comprehend sales data, while her "Instagram Strategy" chat provided research on best practices to convert her audience into customers.
Russell's AI-led business departments feature a chief of staff AI who compiles monthly recaps of all department chats, allowing her to stay organized and maintain a cohesive approach across all aspects of her business. While there is some apprehension surrounding AI, particularly in creative fields, Russell sees potential for AI to evolve the way small businesses operate.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
