How to Use AI in Your Small Business to Think Bigger and Do More with Kate Hejde from Dear Kate Brand Strategy
If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by the endless to-do list that comes with running a creative business, you’re not alone. Content creation, client communication, admin tasks, and marketing can easily consume every hour of your day. But what if you had a virtual team member to help you brainstorm, write, organize, and even launch? That’s exactly what AI can do and today we’re talking about How to Use AI in Your Small Business.
In a recent episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I sat down with Kate Hejde, brand strategist, website designer, and founder of Dear Kate Brand Strategy. Kate has been using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to not only streamline her own business, but to help other small business owners do the same. This conversation was packed with gold—and whether you’re AI-curious or already using it daily, you’re going to walk away with some powerful takeaways.
Why AI Matters for Creative Entrepreneurs
AI can do so much more than write Instagram captions. While social media content is often where people begin, Kate emphasized that the real power of AI lies in helping you think bigger and do more.
“I use AI as my brainstorming partner,” she explained. “It helps me organize my thoughts, develop launch plans, and even reflect on where I might have gaps in my strategy.”
Kate, who also has ADHD, shared how using tools like the ChatGPT app’s voice feature helps her process ideas quickly. Instead of staring at a blank screen, she speaks her thoughts aloud and uses AI to organize and build on them.
Using AI as a Virtual Team Member
One of the most valuable takeaways from our conversation was the idea of using AI as a virtual teammate. You might be a solopreneur, but with AI, you don’t have to do it all alone.
Here are a few ways Kate uses AI to lighten the mental load:
- Content Planning: Draft launch calendars, sort to-do lists by impact, and outline email funnels
- Market Research: Ask AI to act like your dream client and answer ideal client questions
- Feedback Loop: Use AI to analyze marketing content, identify what’s missing, and offer suggestions
“It’s like having a coach on call 24/7,” Kate says.
From Overwhelmed to Organized: AI in Action
If you’ve ever tried to create a launch plan and immediately felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Kate recommends using your existing frameworks or strategies (from courses, educators, or experience) and feeding those into AI to help you create a tailored launch timeline.
“I don’t give AI full control,” she said. “But I will ask it to work with my framework and adapt it to my needs.”
This is also a great way to use AI tools like Claude, which allows you to store project knowledge in a “memory” so that the tool becomes more effective over time.
Can AI Really Help You Grow?
Absolutely. Kate gave examples of how AI has helped her expand beyond her current skill set:
- Perplexity.ai has replaced Google for her when she wants in-depth answers or a compiled response.
- Recraft AI allows her to create custom icons in her own hand-drawn style for sales pages.
- Descript helps her auto-edit podcast episodes and videos with just a few clicks.
- Gamma helps her build slide decks she can then customize in Canva.
You don’t have to be a tech wizard to use these tools. Start with the areas where you already spend the most time and see how AI can support you there.
Worried AI Will Make Your Content Sound Robotic?
That’s one of the most common myths that keeps people from using AI more effectively. Kate tackled this head-on:
“I created a brand guidelines doc that includes how I talk, what words I avoid, and even which emojis I never use. Then I upload that to my AI tools so everything it creates sounds like me.”
Kate even trained her AI to avoid the rocket ship emoji (which it tried to sneak in anyway—AI humor is real).
Pro tip: Ask your AI to rewrite responses in a more conversational tone, or even at a 7th-grade reading level. It makes your content feel more human.
Best AI Tools for Small Business Owners
Here are some of Kate’s favorite AI tools that can help creative entrepreneurs streamline, scale, and save time:
- ChatGPT and Claude (for writing, strategy, organizing, and ideation)
- Perplexity.ai (for research and data sourcing)
- Recraft AI (for illustrations and branded icons)
- Descript (for video/podcast editing)
- Gamma (for slide decks and presentations)
- Canva (for design with built-in AI features)
Feeling Overwhelmed? Start Here.
If you’re new to AI or not sure where to begin, Kate recommends starting with a single pain point (like writing captions), and pairing that with clear brand guidelines to train your AI tool.
Need help creating brand guidelines? Kate offers a free guide called the Marketing Trail Mix Method, and for just $9 you can upgrade to her AI version that auto-generates your brand voice doc. Get it at dearkatebrandstrategy.com/trailmix.
Another favorite? Her AI Weekly Prompts, a free resource to keep your momentum going. Find that at dearkatebrandstrategy.com/aiweekly.
Final Takeaway: AI Helps You Put On Your CEO Hat
Kate put it beautifully: “If you’re not using AI, you’re missing out. You risk falling behind business owners who are able to do more with less time.”
Using AI isn’t cheating. It’s support.
It helps you make CEO-level decisions by freeing up your brainpower, organizing your systems, and expanding your reach. Whether you’re brainstorming, launching, designing, or editing—there’s likely an AI tool that can save you hours.
And as Kate reminded us, “AI helps you get from stuck to started.”
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