AI without the fear – quick takeaways

• You’re already using AI. Email filters, spam sorting, sat-nav rerouting — it’s not new.
• The biggest myth: AI will take your job. Reality: it changes jobs, it doesn’t replace human judgement.
• Start simple. Open a tool like ChatGPT, ask one question, refine the answer.
• Confidence matters more than clever tech. Experiment first, subscribe later.
• Use AI to tackle a real pain point — pricing, quotes, customer emails, admin.
• Protect sensitive data. Remove customer details before pasting anything in.
• Look for practical, plain-English support — avoid heavy jargon sessions at the start.
• Share what works. The best AI communities are open, ego-free and practical.
• If you ignore it for a year, competitors won’t.

Simple message: have a go. Curiosity builds confidence — and confidence builds capability.

• Plain-English look at AI: what it really is, why it feels intimidating, and how small and micro businesses can start using it confidently.
• Hosted by Liz Barclay with guest Kirsty Ingleson of AI Meets Reality, who supports learners and small firms across education and industry.
• Reframes AI as familiar, everyday technology already in use (sat-nav rerouting, predictive text, cameras, recommendations).
• Explains the late-2022 shift with generative AI: mass adoption driven by free, easy access rather than brand-new technology.
• Focus on practical business value: saving time, not replacing people.
• Real examples from a small business: automating social media, supporting pricing decisions, modelling costs and margins, spotting market gaps.
• Core theme of confidence: fear comes from jargon and hype more than the tech itself.
• Shows how clear roles and prompts make AI more useful and focused.
• Challenges the idea that some sectors “can’t use AI”; benefits exist across industries with the right guidance.
• Emphasises the human role: AI works best when people are supported to use it well.

Who it’s for

• Small and micro-business owners, sole traders, freelancers and advisers who want practical reassurance rather than hype.

Up next

• Building confidence step by step: simple starting points and how to apply AI safely and effectively day to day.

Company culture isn’t a perk or a poster on the wall. In this episode, Jimmy explains why culture must be designed with intent, not left to drift.

He unpacks how clear expectations, consistent behaviours and visible leadership turn culture into something practical – a framework that helps people perform better, make smarter decisions and pull in the same direction.

Liz Barclay meets Jimmy Barber – who helps organisations perform better by fixing the culture that shapes how people actually work.

Leaving a large organisation to work for yourself is often framed as an escape. Escape from politics, hierarchy, meetings that go nowhere. Escape into freedom. That part is real — but it’s only half the story.

For many people who step out of corporate life, the attraction is control. Control over time, priorities, and the kind of work you do. The chance to decide your own future rather than fit into someone else’s structure. But what’s less discussed is what replaces the structure you leave behind.

Liz Barclay meets Jimmy Barber – who helps organisations perform better by fixing the culture that shapes how people actually work.

Too many small business owners think they have to figure everything out by themselves. In this episode, Jimmy and Liz challenge that mindset. They talk candidly about why seeking support isn’t a weakness but a survival skill – from mentors and peers to trusted advisers and networks. The message is simple: the right help, at the right time, can save years of trial and error and make growth feel far less lonely.

In this last episode of the series, Liz Barclay meets Jimmy Barber – who helps organisations perform better by fixing the culture that shapes how people actually work.