In this episode of Small Business School, Staci has a powerful and nuanced conversation about AI, ethics, and the mental load entrepreneurs are carrying. Joined by Elaine Alexander, ethical AI educator for therapists and value-led founders, this episode explores how women can use AI strategically, without compromising their values, privacy, or humanity.

From reducing decision fatigue to navigating real fears about confidentiality and replacement, this conversation goes beyond surface-level productivity tips. It’s about understanding what AI actually is, where it fits, and how to use it responsibly as a business owner in a rapidly changing world.

Key topics covered:

• Why AI adoption is slower among women — and why that needs to change
• How AI can reduce the mental load in both business and motherhood
• The “blank page problem” and how AI helps you start or finish faster
• Practical business uses for AI including messaging refinement, tech troubleshooting, and data pattern recognition
• Why treating AI like an assistant (not an authority) changes the results you get
• The ethical concerns around confidentiality, therapy use, and intellectual property
• How AI differs from Google and why it’s more powerful than most people realize
• Where fear is valid and where it’s simply unfamiliarity
• Why integrating AI may create more opportunity, not less
• The importance of guardrails, personal responsibility, and filtering advice through your values

AI isn’t going away. But how you use it (and whether you use it intentionally) will shape the future of your business. This episode will help you move from fear to informed action, so you can leverage AI as a tool instead of resisting it out of uncertainty.

Grab Elaine’s Pause Before You Prompt resource, a free guide to safer smarter AI use: https://reclaimedpractice.kit.com/6c598bb464

Connect with Elaine:

Instagram: @elainetalexander

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! In today’s episode, Staci sits down with registered dietitian, entrepreneur, and founder of Fraiche Living and Fraiche Table, Tori Wesszer, for an honest conversation about failure, resilience, motherhood, and building a business that actually aligns with your life.

Tori shares the very public crash and burn of her first business venture, what it taught her about business fundamentals and visibility, and how she rebuilt from the ground up — first as a blogger, then as a content creator, and now as the CEO of a growing meal planning software company. This is a powerful conversation about what it really costs to build something meaningful and why sometimes the long road is the right road.

Key topics covered:

• The lessons learned from a very public business failure
• Why understanding the fundamentals matters more than chasing trends
• The transition from blogger to software founder
• Navigating entrepreneurship through motherhood and evolving priorities
• Rebuilding confidence after setbacks
• The importance of long-term vision over short-term wins
• Growing sustainably instead of rushing scale
• What it actually looks like to build a mission-driven company

Failure doesn’t disqualify you — it prepares you. And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do in business is rebuild with wisdom instead of ego.

Visit fraichetable.com and use code SMALLBUSINESS20 at check out to get 20% off Tori’s meal plan

Connect with Tori:

Instagram: @fraichetable and @fraicheliving

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.