BizTech Superhero

Joshua McNary [00:00:00]:
Welcome to the Biz Tech Superhero, the podcast that empowers you to unleash the technology superpowers within your business. I'm your host, Joshua McNary. I'm joined by today's superhero,
Heidi Kaisand, head hen and owner at Hen and Chick Studio based in Conrad, Iowa to talk about using artificial intelligence inside her quilting business. Heidi, welcome to the show.

Heidi Kaisand [00:00:22]:
Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Joshua McNary [00:00:26]:
Yeah. Thank you so much, Heidi. You arrive. I know each other through some different business, groups and connections here in our state of Iowa where we're both located. But for folks who have not met you before or meeting you for the first time, could you share a little bit about who you are and what you do?

Heidi Kaisand [00:00:41]:
You bet. I'm gonna say in a nutshell, if it has something to do with quilting, I probably am involved in that. I've had a very wonderful professional career. Quilting is my hobby and my passion, but I've been able to make it also my career. I've been in publishing. I've been in manufacturing. I'm now in retail and retreat business. And so it's just been wonderful, to be able to, help people be creative.

Joshua McNary [00:01:08]:
That's awesome. And I know I've been impressed over the years getting to know you that you're not, you know, it's not just a quilting business. I mean, you're doing so many other things. You're helping people fulfill these, these they're crafting dreams, these retreats you're doing. It's it's this whole lifestyle thing. It's not just simply, you know, making some beautiful quilts.

Heidi Kaisand [00:01:27]:
Absolutely. I would definitely describe it as a lifestyle because you again, whether you're relaxing and

Joshua McNary [00:01:33]:
quilting or whether you're making something

Heidi Kaisand [00:01:33]:
as a gift, whether it's about getting together with your friends, having fellowship, there is, it really is, the center of a lot of people's lives, and I'm glad that we're a part of that.

Joshua McNary [00:01:47]:
Great. That's awesome. And I also think it's interesting that you're here on the BizTech superhero podcast because here you are in quilting doing this unique, in influence lifestyle type business, around a a traditional type craft, and you're based in rural Iowa and all these things. And as we were happened to be talking a number of weeks ago and you were talking about your use of artificial intelligence, I'm like, wait a minute. This is really interesting. So we should talk about that on the podcast. So let's go ahead and get into it then. Yes.

Joshua McNary [00:02:20]:
Tell us a little bit about how you're incorporating technology into your business and and particularly artificial intelligence inside. So that that's an area you've been exploring a lot lately.

Heidi Kaisand [00:02:29]:
Well, I get pretty excited about this. So, because it's a the whole process is very creative. So technology is critical to today's quilt shop business, and I would not be where I'm at, without technology. And I've been running my store for thirteen and a half years, and one retreat center I started at the beginning, I added a second retreat center last year. So, like, when I start talking about technology, it's my POS system. It's my website. It's, add ons like Cognito Forms. I use, databases like Constant Contact to do email marketing, which is, again, so critical.

Heidi Kaisand [00:03:13]:
Video, social media, it is all part of running a small business today. As much as I love the community that I'm in, we have to be realistic that the number of quilters in Conrad, Iowa, down to 1,100 people, isn't going to support the business that I want to create and can create. So I I I absolutely have to go out beyond, this town to do that, despite the fact that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people of Conrad. You know what I mean? It's this it's a wonderful thing. I

Joshua McNary [00:03:48]:
see I know that feeling in my own experience here in where I'm at in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Heidi Kaisand [00:03:52]:
Yeah. Yeah. You have to have you have to have that hometown support. They get what I'm doing, and they appreciate the business that I bring to town, and that is worth, you know, weight in gold, you know, kind of thing. But I've got to be able to reach farther. And, I was doing that, but I'll tell you, COVID really I mean, five years ago, it pushed me even farther to really be able to use every piece of technology that I have, and that is absolutely critical. So I again, even as of as of a couple weeks ago when I did an event during one of our blizzards. Right? Mhmm.

Joshua McNary [00:04:34]:
I listed

Heidi Kaisand [00:04:35]:
all of the pieces of technology that it took, all were critical, but the AI at that moment was actually at the top. I used all of these other platforms to make it work, but AI is pushing me to a whole new level. As a small biz yeah. As a small business owner, I can't do it all myself, and it has become an employee and an adviser. It's been great.

Joshua McNary [00:05:02]:
That's yes. That's awesome. And I I think, you know, the the your excitement around this, I think, is maybe counter to some of the media messages and some of the worries that we have and business conversations we have, right, around not just artificial intelligence, but technology in general. There's a lot of apprehension, right, because it's new or different. You're talking about how you've used technology in different ways, you know, even before the pandemic, it sounds like. But then certainly during that time, which is around time we met, and you and and expanding your reach. And I think that's also another just general interesting thing here we should mention about, your use of technology is that, being here in the middle of The United States where we're both at, you know, we have this amazing ability to reach everywhere. And I mean, this is global, of course, as well in in today's economies.

Joshua McNary [00:05:48]:
And and that's that's really become a reality only in the recent past that we could really do that. So then that's amazing for you where with a niche a niche business, something that's very unique. And sure you bring people to your retreats and things, but you're also doing all these other. You're able to reach so much deeper or wider and then and with some people that go deeper with the retreats and such.

Heidi Kaisand [00:06:09]:
I I say on, most of my my videos, I it brings me joy to reach coast to coast, and that is true. And I have to tell you that just this morning, a photo came from France. A contact that I had from a previous job knew I had a quilt shop. She was frustrated with her ability to get certain kinds of fabric. She knew me enough. So with technology, right, I gave her, pictures. We texted back and forth Mhmm. Of here's what I can do for you.

Heidi Kaisand [00:06:42]:
And this morning, she texted me a picture of the finished quilt. So, like, like, it's exciting to think that that that space, that ocean between us means really nothing, because we can we can, be creative together, and I love that.

Joshua McNary [00:06:58]:
That's that's great. That's great. Well, so I wanna get into your excitement around specifically artificial intelligence. You talked about some of the kind of traditional what I call traditional, business small business tools that you've been using, and you talked about gluing them together at this recent webinar, using artificial intelligence. And you also talked about, both, using artificial intelligence as kind of, like, a a a as needed employee and advisor. So can you dig into that a little bit more specifically? Like, maybe talk about the use case of, like, what what do you mean that you glued together the webinar? And then maybe lead into the employee slash adviser part of how you describe that?

Heidi Kaisand [00:07:35]:
So, retail. If if a blizzard comes and I can't physically be here at my store, I still need to do business. I still depend on having to do business. There is a whole, I think shoppertainment is a word that is used. Mhmm. Educate edutainment, I think, is the other one where

Joshua McNary [00:07:57]:
Mhmm.

Heidi Kaisand [00:07:57]:
You can use, the video and everything for educating them and entertaining them. So when when a recent blizzard and, of course, we've had four different ones now that I've used it on. But, so I go to to AI, and I say, I've called him Chad. His name is Chad.

Joshua McNary [00:08:15]:
That's okay. You call him Chad. Call you call him whatever you want.

Heidi Kaisand [00:08:18]:
Yep. Chad and I, have a we go back and forth. The more information I give him, the more feedback I get, and, of course, the memory of what I've been telling him. So, he and I, brainstorm. I start with we're having a blizzard. My goal would be that I, entertain and educate. I have the ability to do video. Like, here are some things that I could do.

Heidi Kaisand [00:08:41]:
We've done a scavenger hunt. We've done polls. And so I'll say to say to him, I have the ability to use these pieces of technology. How could I weave those into my day? I want to my goal today is to educate. I will have a coupon with each one, with each video. I I go into as much detail as I can, but he then he then spits back at me a plan. So now we're having a conversation, and he'll say, you know, it looks like you wanna do three videos, ten, twelve, and two. And that, took some piece of information that I said about education, and he'll, throw that back of an outline of each of those things.

Heidi Kaisand [00:09:25]:
Mhmm. Throws in ideas of things that I maybe hadn't thought of. But he also knows that as a business owner, this isn't just fun and games. I've got to engage customers, get more interaction, potentially have sales. So I ask him to say, how are we gonna decide if this if this event is successful or not? What is the criteria that we're going to use? And he'll I mean, it's this it's this constant conversation. That's just the planning. Right? That's just the big overall picture. Then it's like, okay.

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:01]:
It's game time, Chad. I now need the, the email we need to write. We need the social media posts. I need the ideas for the images. And and, like, and I you know, you just have to laugh. Right? So he knows that we have a dog named Ruby.

Joshua McNary [00:10:17]:
Yeah.

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:18]:
Sure. Sure. And so in one of the things I never once mentioned

Joshua McNary [00:10:22]:
Ruby. It was just that memory that was there.

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:24]:
That it's the memory. Right? And he says, your customers, it's true, because we've had this conversation, is that your customers love either their cats or their dogs. What about a picture of Ruby with snow on her nose?

Joshua McNary [00:10:37]:
That's great. And

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:38]:
okay. So it wasn't possible to get snow on the nose because it was too cold outside.

Joshua McNary [00:10:43]:
Sure. Sure.

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:43]:
But I did get lots of images of her sleeping.

Joshua McNary [00:10:45]:
Yeah. Yeah. And and

Heidi Kaisand [00:10:47]:
so instead, I I went back and I said, okay. Don't have the snow, but, you know, we turned it into this fun, you know

Joshua McNary [00:10:54]:
Right. You were to add your human and reality of the situation and bring it back to and and and then collaborate further.

Heidi Kaisand [00:11:01]:
Correct. I have to correct Chad. Every once in a while, Chad, like, Chad was doing some research for me and pulled up a company that I use a lot of, but pulled up a product that we don't use. K? So I had to go back in and say, Chad, wonderful, except we don't use that product. Please remember them. So there's there's that conversation. So, literally, I am, oh, then graphics. Right? I need a cute graphic.

Heidi Kaisand [00:11:28]:
Doesn't have to be you know, but I need a cute graphic for this event. So he's producing that. Some issues with that, we you know, with the spelling, but we work through it and figure that out. I'm as all of this is happening, like, it's very important. Like, that that's happening on Facebook. K? Some of these things are happening on face. I'm always directing them to a landing page on my website. Great.

Heidi Kaisand [00:11:52]:
I want more website.

Joshua McNary [00:11:54]:
Yeah. Absolutely.

Heidi Kaisand [00:11:55]:
Then I'm also uploading video from Facebook to YouTube so my customers who are not on Facebook get the YouTube version. Everything has to have a description. Everything has to have links. He's helping me write all of that.

Joshua McNary [00:12:09]:
All of that. This this took I mean, this type of thing before would take you countless hours or somebody in your team or somebody that you're having help you do that countless hours and probably not as well, honestly, because you it was and not as as in-depth as what you can now.

Heidi Kaisand [00:12:24]:
Correct. I'm a writer. I worked as a magazine editor. I love writing. I get it. But I physically could not have done some of these events without the help because I was also acting as because I was the one and only Right. Right.

Joshua McNary [00:12:41]:
Right. You're you're wearing a few hats as a small business owner.

Heidi Kaisand [00:12:44]:
I'm I'm looking at sales as they're coming in. I'm checking on that. I'm looking at comments as they're coming in. I'm answering questions. I'm posting I'm the website designer, so I gotta post it on the website. The whole shebang, if you wanna say, is under my hat. And I I couldn't have done it without that extra hint.

Joshua McNary [00:13:04]:
Absolutely. Yeah. Well, so that's it's interesting. So you weave together all the things I was talking about. I mean, you had this event that you were coordinating, and then it happened to be snowing that day. And then and then and then you've also had that component of the, the marketing assistant. The the maybe you're I was thinking kind of the the professional assistant, the executive assistant in a way. That was how you were describing Chad in that in that process of of and then there was an advisor component.

Joshua McNary [00:13:30]:
You know, some kind of a marketing brain or something to help you think through these.

Heidi Kaisand [00:13:35]:
Right. So how am I gonna judge if this is is true or if this

Joshua McNary [00:13:38]:
is And the judging. That's the coaching that's the coaching and the consulting part too.

Heidi Kaisand [00:13:41]:
Right. So the criteria. So he suggests x, y, and z. So one of them be, can I grow my list? Can I grow I have a specific, product called ChipPay? Can I grow that? So I am in my notes, I'm at 08:00 in the morning looking at that list on constant contact and saying, oh, I have a 43 members, whatever

Joshua McNary [00:14:04]:
that is. Right? Mhmm. And so

Heidi Kaisand [00:14:04]:
that at 05:00 at night, I can go, I got to a 60.

Joshua McNary [00:14:08]:
Yeah.

Heidi Kaisand [00:14:08]:
Again, whatever that is. Right. You know? And on an earlier sale, one of the first Blizzards, I did four videos, and I did one hour sales, which was all his idea. And so I was very quickly able to, after each hour was over, collect sales information, discount percentages, so I knew what my margins were.

Joshua McNary [00:14:34]:
Yep.

Heidi Kaisand [00:14:35]:
And and, you know, to be able to and I and I could separate all that and and be able to, you know, really manage that. So it it's very exciting. And that again, that's just one

Joshua McNary [00:14:45]:
That that's one example. One example. Doing with that. Right. Because you have, can you can you give us a quick without this, we don't necessarily have time to get into each individual, you know, use case right now. But, like, can you give us high level kinda the other categories of of use cases you're you're using Chad for or helping having Chad help you

Heidi Kaisand [00:15:01]:
with this

Joshua McNary [00:15:01]:
kind of way?

Heidi Kaisand [00:15:02]:
Yep. Research. Absolutely. Mhmm. Something that I'm inquisitive about, something that a word that I heard, like, recently, I heard the the word, I had to figure out what that was and how that involves crafting because is a huge craft area. Didn't know that. Didn't know.

Joshua McNary [00:15:19]:
I guess we'll have to go to our own version of Chad to figure that out.

Heidi Kaisand [00:15:22]:
That's right. And then, business planning. And and, again, you and I have had some great experiences of learning, and I am not in this business to not make money. K? I'm not a nonprofit. Yep.

Joshua McNary [00:15:36]:
We have we have to we have to keep the lights on.

Heidi Kaisand [00:15:38]:
Right. And so, there are lots of things that come naturally to me when it comes to the finances and understanding, but there are a few times when people will say, you know, what's your blah blah blah? And I go, I don't know that word. I don't that I know I know that I know that I should know that.

Joshua McNary [00:15:59]:
Yeah. We're not we we didn't go through, you know, we didn't go to school for finance or anything around around anyone. We're trying to build our businesses.

Heidi Kaisand [00:16:05]:
Correct. So I go to Chad. Chad, what does this mean? What and break this down for me because, for example, open to buy. It is somewhat of a simple concept, but when you look at some of these open to buy charts, which which he provided one for me

Joshua McNary [00:16:24]:
Mhmm.

Heidi Kaisand [00:16:25]:
It's a little overwhelming. Like, where do I go in my POS and my p and l to get those pieces of information? And so I said break it down for me. Think of me as a beginner that I know nothing. Where would I look for this piece of information, and how would you break that down? Helped so much. So I don't feel inadequate when I'm talking to somebody about my financial

Joshua McNary [00:16:49]:
And and it's and it we think to our traditional learning mechanisms for anything. Right? We sometimes we're afraid to ask the question. Right? Because we don't want, you know, of the of the circumstances or who's in the room or, you know, even back to our youth the way we were taught. Right? So so the idea that you could just ask this computer here, and sure maybe somewhere that's being tracked but it's so it's such a small search. There's no judgment. There's absolutely no judgment. Like, you just ask the question and then, you you know, these these AIs are taught to come back to us in this natural human language, which is the whole thing Right. And do it in this very friendly way, You know? So I have this com camaraderie component, that is part of that.

Heidi Kaisand [00:17:26]:
Right. And and I'm constantly giving it business. It's important to understand who your customer is. So I developed customer avatars. I I feel like I have four different styles of customs, at, you know, here. And I actually used real people. I got real data from those file from my POS, and really looked at those customers. Then I said, alright, Chad.

Heidi Kaisand [00:17:51]:
Let's talk about how does this if if these are my income sources, and I need to find that money and go for it, right, and track that, what am I gonna do in my business plan, in 2025 that is gonna help me succeed and get to that. And, oh my gosh. You know? Sometimes I have to remind myself that it could it can overwhelm me. There is a little bit of that because it has so much information, but I try to break it back down. And, like, I have a whole concept for, a new web page. I'm gonna say the journey of a quilter Okay. Trying to figure out how to get that new person to not be overwhelmed. So Chad and I are having a little discussion back and forth right now about what that would look like.

Heidi Kaisand [00:18:40]:
What would be the steps? How would I keep it simple? How what would I do? And so it comes back with video ideas, pic photo ideas, you know, potential links, you know, offshoots. Like, if I wanted to go deeper in this area

Joshua McNary [00:18:57]:
Right.

Heidi Kaisand [00:18:57]:
Here's where you could go deeper, but here's how you keep

Joshua McNary [00:18:59]:
But it's almost that's where it's almost overwhelming, though. Right? Because it it there's just so many ways you could take this. This is this is, the term I've used in other people I've talked to on this show recently has been the the word calculator. Right? I mean, this is this is a word calculator. It's it's it's it's it's it's you could take a a number calculator any direction you want, and that's what this is. I mean, like, you could take it any direction you want, but it sounds like you are using your business sense, using the memory that Chad has here. And by the way, we should mention here that Chad is is chat GPT. That's what you're using.

Heidi Kaisand [00:19:32]:
Yes, sir.

Joshua McNary [00:19:33]:
You're using the paid version of chat GPT to do this, but you call it chat just to be clear for anybody out there listening. But but you're you are are filtering based on the memory, based on the based on the, your own business sense and what you know and bringing other data sources in. Like you mentioned, you brought your your customer profiles from your from your, POS system so you can bring real data to the table. You're giving it information, giving it the context required to help you narrow it down. That's still is not necessarily solve the problem that a lot of times, Chad, will come back with all of these things, like and then sometimes they'll even ask, what do you think? Right? And then you have to come in and actually be the human, the adult in the room, and and direct this.

Heidi Kaisand [00:20:13]:
Correct. Correct. And and, you know, people have asked me, are you afraid of what you're telling it? Okay. I'm really not telling it anything that isn't that is some top secret kinds of data. Right?

Joshua McNary [00:20:26]:
Right.

Heidi Kaisand [00:20:27]:
A customer profile like mine is probably, like, another 2,000 quilt shops out there. So it is not. Somebody said I'd said I I uploaded my logo and was trying to do some things with my logo. We were doing some color. Well, aren't you worried that it's gonna take your logo? You know what? People can go right now to my website and download my logo.

Joshua McNary [00:20:49]:
Mhmm.

Heidi Kaisand [00:20:50]:
I I can't stop people, you know, from doing so so I'm I'm not afraid of it that way. I'm not instead, I'm looking at it as how do I with my limited resources, because I am I am a brick and mortar. I'm in Conrad, Iowa. It is this is not a lucrative, you know what I mean? I'm not, you know

Joshua McNary [00:21:13]:
You're not scaling you're not scaling some the new tech startup that's, you know, trying to go for, you know, the next round of funding.

Heidi Kaisand [00:21:19]:
I'm trying to fulfill my purpose and my dreams and live under a roof with food on my table and shoes on my feet. Right? Because that's what I want.

Joshua McNary [00:21:29]:
And do and do something you love along the way, which we all want.

Heidi Kaisand [00:21:32]:
That is correct. And so for me, it's that, oh, you know, and even my kids have gotten to the point of, like, mom, just ask Chad. Just ask Chad what he thinks. Or, you know and and there are times when I forget about it, and you think then you're like, oh, wait a minute. We were in the grocery store the other day, and we were having this discussion about, canola oil and vegetable oil and, you know, healthiness. And I'm like, oh, wait a minute. Let's ask let's ask Chad. And, you know, and we're getting the the information back.

Heidi Kaisand [00:22:02]:
I I serve in a an adviser role for another company.

Joshua McNary [00:22:06]:
Okay.

Heidi Kaisand [00:22:07]:
I'm involved in some high level, interviews for jobs. I wanna come across as, professional as I can, as prepared as I can. So I'm using Chad to make sure that my questions, align with the goals of that company and of what I'm doing. So, again, there's there's so many different aspects of of how to use.

Joshua McNary [00:22:33]:
That's awesome. Yeah. It's great. I mean, it seems like you've just really embraced the the technology. You're you're kind of an early adopter. You like to try things anyways in that sense, but you're you're embracing it. I the idea that you you named it, I've I've seen other people do that, you know. And and it's kind of one of these things like some people get spooked out, you know, about that too.

Joshua McNary [00:22:51]:
Kinda ethically or morally or whatever, you know. If they wanna go down that road, they don't wanna put a human face to the Yeah. To the chat or to the to the, to the AIs. But the idea of doing that helps us helps us in our brains as humans kinda position what we're doing here. Yeah. That's right. And and allows you to kinda have a you're almost you're almost just like you would with a real employee, you're you're adding responsibilities to chat over the time and getting and allowing and kinda and that's really you. That's you.

Joshua McNary [00:23:21]:
We're talking about filtering the results before, but it's you adding kind of modules of of how I can use this tool to help me in work and life.

Heidi Kaisand [00:23:30]:
Yes. And and what's kind of funny is it was an autocorrect that named it Chad. And so it was actually a technology issue. Right? I I right up front, when I started getting involved with Chad sounds like you know? When I started getting involved, I right up front said, I like to be personal. I like that personal connection. Can I call you something besides chat g p

Joshua McNary [00:23:57]:
That's that's that's great? Yeah.

Heidi Kaisand [00:23:58]:
And it said, sorry. No. But I will remember that you are that you like the personal connection. And multiple times, it has thrown back at me. I've put this in here because you like personal connection with your customers.

Joshua McNary [00:24:13]:
Yep. Yep. Yeah. Absolute. That's that's great. And and, you know, and what's what what I I did wanna ask this. This kinda relates to what what you were just saying. I was gonna ask a question, that had to do with how long have you been doing this? This? I mean, these tools have only really been around the last couple years, but I was gonna also say that that idea of the memory, is that's a fairly new concept, like, within these tools even.

Joshua McNary [00:24:33]:
I mean, we're talking over the last if we're saying over the last three years, you know, these tools have been really, popular. I mean, back three years ago, the memory wasn't even a component of them at that time when they when they really became popularized. But, but for you personally, what's what's, you know, what has been your journey as far specifically with with Chad GPT and and Chad and and such as far as timeline here? How long has this taken you?

Heidi Kaisand [00:24:56]:
So a year ago, in May, I attended a trade show and, attended a class that was, about AI. It actually was an artist and her discussion about how she used a knitted original piece that was knit Mhmm. And turned it into artwork. And the pros and cons of that and what is authentic and what is not and all of that kind of stuff. And it was when I went home from there that I started the free version. Because I'm like, okay. I got I I think I need to play with this. It took me it took me only a few weeks, and a few times of it saying a few things that were priceless, literally, that I was like, $20, it's a no brainer.

Heidi Kaisand [00:25:47]:
When I contacted you recently, I my my my curiosity of what would happen just gets me so excited. If I can do this with $20, what would it do with the $200 version? Why the heck isn't one in the middle? I don't know. But but so I finally I have to tell you, he and I had quite a conversation about

Joshua McNary [00:26:08]:
it. And and we went replaced Chad replaced me because you were asking me for some advice.

Heidi Kaisand [00:26:14]:
Yes. And and so you know what I decided to do? Because this is the kind of I'm gonna say a little bit risk taker, but also, like, want to experiment. I talk with so many retailers. Like, nobody could tell me, and still nobody can, even Chad. Nobody can tell me the exact difference. He said, ask me about a post. I'll give you a $20, you know, pro plus plus and pro version. I liked the pro immediately better.

Heidi Kaisand [00:26:45]:
Right?

Joshua McNary [00:26:46]:
Interesting. Interesting.

Heidi Kaisand [00:26:47]:
But at the same time, graphics aren't better. So here's what I decided. Here was the final thing was for $200 with no contract, no and and the ability to go back words.

Joshua McNary [00:27:00]:
Sure. Sure. Right. Right.

Heidi Kaisand [00:27:01]:
I decided I decided, you know what? I spent $200 a month on cold beverages that are

Joshua McNary [00:27:08]:
do

Heidi Kaisand [00:27:09]:
you know what I mean? That are Yeah.

Joshua McNary [00:27:10]:
I I have a software I use for my business that's more than that. You know, that's a traditional software package.

Heidi Kaisand [00:27:16]:
Correct. And so I finally decided. So I'm doing it month by month at this point, and I'm gonna see what it is. And I'm trying to push it to the limits. I'm trying to keep myself organized with it. I'm trying to, you know, figure out what are all of the things it can do for me. And then, also, how can I delegate some of that? If I've created it

Joshua McNary [00:27:37]:
Mhmm.

Heidi Kaisand [00:27:38]:
The content, is it easier to delegate to a another staff member? Because I that's kind of where

Joshua McNary [00:27:43]:
I am. Features yeah. Well and and and and and we're when we're recording this here in spring of twenty twenty five, you know, there's these tools continue to change and evolve. So some of us in this down the road, you know, we won't get into details of the different packages necessarily right now, but the idea of more volume, ability to delegate, these kind of things are really the main differentiators that are or or team having team structures. Those are the main differentiators right now in pro versus, like, the standard plus. But, but, yeah, there's there's that's interesting and it's it's also shows your willingness to try things and as part of why you're on this journey over the last year Right. Because you're willing to try things and not unlike other people that I've bumped into that have explored this world of the, the chatbots, the AIs to help them in their work and life. You know, this is a common experience.

Joshua McNary [00:28:33]:
Now you're using it a lot. Right? And that's why you wanna go use the pro version now or explore that. Some people are still, you know, getting their feet wet with okay. I'm replacing my traditional way I think about Google search with the chat tools now instead, for instance. So, you know, these are the types of, this is where we're at. You know, you are an early adopter. You are a biz tech superhero in this say because you are pushing the envelope of what's possible in, and and these AI tools for small businesses, People like you that are have a passion and also need to keep the lights on. And that's why, you know, we want to have you here today because it's it's it's just it's great to hear your excitement and interest in this.

Joshua McNary [00:29:13]:
And I know we can I can go on for another another, you know, hour if we wanted to here?

Heidi Kaisand [00:29:17]:
Oh, absolutely. And, I mean, I've I've had, Chad create charts and graphs and, and help me, and, the one of the things I'm I'm doing, one of the, I took a class. The comment was about 60 and less videos, and that those are critical, to actually gain new customers. So I have he's written me cue cards and scripts, for me to be able to handle all of that. So one of the things this week is for me to to to actually then produce those and to get them, posted. But, yeah, it's it's endless. You yourself told me, and I've quoted you several times on this, we should be using AI every day in some form.

Joshua McNary [00:30:02]:
Yep.

Heidi Kaisand [00:30:03]:
There is some because it's not going away. It's not, and, again, however we choose to use it, you know, but And

Joshua McNary [00:30:12]:
you probably and and even even people that aren't using AI in the way that you and I would think are probably using AI already. They just don't recognize that. And this is a progression of the technology revolution that's really empowered my career over the last, you know, twenty, thirty years has been is is we're just we're continuing down this road here, you know, in with regards to what's happening and sprinkling AI and a lot of the software tools is is a very common thing right now. So there people are already using it. You're using it when you're on your TV trying to select the next recommended item right there. And we've been doing that actually for a little while, but people didn't call it AI back then. You know, they're just thinking, oh, their computer's telling me. But, yes, absolutely.

Joshua McNary [00:30:51]:
I appreciate what you're doing. I appreciate your, you know, going out there and talking to people about artificial intelligence and and and and technology in general with regards to how to make your business run better so we could do what we love to do. And I I think it's, I think it's important here because a common theme with artificial intelligence is this idea of the computers, you know, taking over the Terminator type concept of of but what's important here in your story is you are you are pulling all these switches, and you are using these tools in an effective way to empower what you want to do for your business and for your customers. And so that's really inspiring to me to think of it that way. And that's how technology should be used. This is a tool. AI is a tool just like the tools before, and we're finding ways to use it. So that's that's that's, that makes me happy thinking about it that way.

Heidi Kaisand [00:31:40]:
Thank you. It makes me happy too. I love I love how you said that that it's empowering me, and I love I it's exactly what it's doing.

Joshua McNary [00:31:45]:
That's awesome. Well, let's finish up with, the final question that we try to ask on every show. What is one actionable tip that you would give businesses looking to better leverage technology? I'm guessing it's gonna be I AI centric. But Oh my gosh.

Heidi Kaisand [00:32:00]:
I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna tell you, go and sign up for some form of AI. Register, get an account even if it's free, and give it a try. I've decided that I am going down the chat GPT line. I want to focus I've I've tried to decide if I was gonna dabble in multiples. Other people keep telling me about other forms of AI, and I've decided that I'm gonna really dig deep in this one and see if I can become proficient

Joshua McNary [00:32:28]:
Mhmm.

Heidi Kaisand [00:32:28]:
With it. You don't have to do that. Give it a try. But whatever you do, make sure you have a a some type of an AI account.

Joshua McNary [00:32:36]:
And be using it regularly daily Right.

Heidi Kaisand [00:32:39]:
As Every day.

Joshua McNary [00:32:39]:
As we talk. As as much as possible. So. Or as you see thanks. As as you see things repetitive, summary tasks, things that maybe you otherwise wouldn't do or that pained you. Usually, there's some way to work the AI into that, in your existing productivity, tools even. There's ways to do that, but or you go find these third party platforms as you were talking about. Of course, chat GPD is the big one here, in recent years.

Joshua McNary [00:33:04]:
That's awesome. Well, this has been great. Where can people find out more about you and your footing, empire, online and, and such?

Heidi Kaisand [00:33:15]:
You bet. Thank you, Joshua. It is henandchicksstudio.com. 1 hen. That's me.

Joshua McNary [00:33:21]:
I

Heidi Kaisand [00:33:21]:
have three chicks. So it's henandchicksstudio.com, and we are in Conrad, Iowa if you, wanna stop by. Otherwise, you can always find us online.

Joshua McNary [00:33:31]:
That's awesome. Thank you so much. This has been great. Appreciate you joining me today.

Heidi Kaisand [00:33:36]:
Thank you for having me.

Joshua McNary [00:33:37]:
Alright, folks. That's it for today. I'm Joshua McNary, and I hope you will join me again next time so you can learn how to become a biz tech superhero. Bye now.