Ten years in the past, Jessica Spencer was on a six-hour journey to Atlanta. Like many street journey warriors, she determined to cross the time with a podcast.
That was the primary time Jessica heard The Sensible Passive Revenue Podcast, a present that’s nonetheless up and working weekly with Pat Flynn behind the mic. She was taken by Pat’s method to customer-centric advertising and marketing. What Jessica didn’t know, as her automotive floated gently down the Georgia freeway, was the place the podcast would lead her.
9 years later, she discovered SPI’s All-Entry Move neighborhood and her entrepreneurial journey would by no means be the identical.
An Advocate for Synthetic Intelligence (AI)
As an early adopter of AI, Jessica — who describes herself as a “complete pc nerd” — shortly realized the potential for AI applied sciences to alter the best way we work, reside, and run our companies.
It began with an IBM Watson certification via Coursera, the place Jessica constructed a mannequin able to figuring out completely different canine breeds and created her personal chatbot. “It opened so many doorways,” she says. Quickly, she was exploring AI’s functionality to draft written content material, write customized code for web sites, and extra.
However the actual breakthrough got here when she and her husband, a sixth-grade instructor, began to debate what AI may do for individuals like him. That dialog was a jumping-off level for a course on utilizing ChatGPT for lecturers.
“AI is one thing that there’s a whole lot of power round,” Jessica says. “There’s a whole lot of alternative to enhance our lives with it.”
Jessica’s objectives as an advocate for AI are formidable, to place it flippantly. “I need to assist 1000’s higher their lives by studying find out how to leverage AI and different applied sciences in an genuine and aligned manner,” she says. On a extra private stage, Jessica’s objectives embrace constructing transparency on the planet of political investments and bringing consciousness to the foster-to-adopt system, a trigger she is deeply keen about.
Talking of — Jessica does all of this as a mother to 5. When requested how she does it, she laughs and says “I attempt to ensure I take my ADHD meds.” She goes on, “My husband, Noah, has been completely superb and so supportive of my journey as an entrepreneur. Setting expectations with the youngsters and staying agency with my boundaries is one thing that I’ve been engaged on. One factor I’ve began doing just lately is obstructing off time on my calendar for doing actions with the youngsters. Noah and I’ve additionally began making date nights a extra common factor. It’s straightforward to get caught up within the day by day whirlwind of to-do’s, and it’s been actually vital to remain conscious of the place I spend my time to make sure that it’s holistically aligned with my priorities.”
Having left her company profession — the place she most just lately labored because the Director of Advertising for a big healthcare IT agency — Jessica knew she wanted a supportive neighborhood. Someplace she may discover inspiration, get questions answered, join with different entrepreneurs, and study important abilities as she continued to develop her model. That place was the All-Entry Move, SPI’s studying neighborhood constructed round community-driven programs.
She quickly discovered herself immersed in an inspirational neighborhood she may entry anytime, wherever. As she continued to construct her LLC, Penguin Connective, she determined to transition to the SPI Professional neighborhood — a membership geared in direction of established entrepreneurs.
“Being part of that, the place everybody’s sort of driving one another however there’s this excessive stage of assist — you see what’s doable,” she says. “There’s accountability with it and it’s been actually motivating.”
Jessica cites the excessive stage of engagement in SPI Professional as one of many key elements in her progress. Inside SPI’s communities, she’s discovered a spot the place she will be able to go not only for validation or a fast reply, however to truly interact and dive additional on subjects via message threads, mastermind calls, and extra. “Folks take a real curiosity in one another’s lives as an alternative of simply liking one thing to get visibility,” she says.
She’s been capable of join with different members one-on-one and unlock new alternatives for collaboration too. “There’s a deeper stage of connection than what I’ve discovered in different places beforehand,” she emphasizes.
Able to discover be a part of your individuals and stage up?
Such as you, we’re on-line entrepreneurs who crave connection, path, and assist from individuals like us.
Tussling with Imposter Syndrome
Jessica doesn’t hesitate to underscore simply how a lot the neighborhood has helped her really feel supported. Nonetheless, crucial transformation she’s skilled is in her mindset. “Once I began out as an entrepreneur, I assumed that I’d be capable of simply run with it… I had an MBA, a background in advertising and marketing, and almost 20 years in company below my belt,” she says. “What I wasn’t anticipating was the mindset work I would want to do. Imposter syndrome is a bear.”
By one-on-one calls with different members, Jessica discovered extra path and readability via her journey, main her to understand the following steps and uncover deeper work forward. Furthermore, her expertise has given her a more healthy perspective on the entrepreneurial journey; she now views “failure” as a chance to study and develop.
A Podcast, a Neighborhood, and a Lovely Future
Throughout a few of the one-on-one calls Jessica has had with different members, she realized she needed to do one thing she hadn’t considered earlier than — beginning a podcast. Regardless of describing herself as an introvert, the neighborhood helped her notice that she needed to share these fascinating conversations about AI with a wider viewers. Being a part of a neighborhood stuffed with podcasters and entrepreneurs, she was within the good place to take action — many neighborhood members grew to become visitors on the present, and AI Genie was born.
Now, Jessica is constructing a neighborhood for others who need to leverage AI to make a significant affect on the planet. AI Explorers was born, with a mission to “demystify AI, to open your eyes to a world of prospects that transcends the well-trodden path of content material creation.” She cites SPI’s Neighborhood Enterprise Blueprint course as key to her neighborhood’s success. “I believe generally as entrepreneurs, we really feel like we’re identical to throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what, see what sticks,” she says. “Going via that course particularly, I positively felt like I had a pathway to put the inspiration and create a very stable construction.”
As for what’s subsequent for Jessica, the phrase “vary” involves thoughts. She’s at the moment making a course on AI for musicians and one other on AI for entrepreneurs.
“I would like to have the ability to journey the world with my household and create superior recollections whereas constructing a safer future for us on our personal phrases,” she accentuates.
With a powerful neighborhood supporting her, she’s nicely on her manner.