You’re the best part of your business. AI is just the extra help.
‘Grow with AI’ – A Workshop for Small Business Owners
A 10-week working cohort to help your business do more, without working more Hours
LIVE, IN-PERSON PROGRAM in Nashville, Indiana.
Part of Project Fish, The STEAMery’s adult workforce program.
A 10-week in-person program, targeted to start the week of August 17, 2026.
Cohort limited to 10 business owners.
Applications reviewed in the order they arrive.
You already have the hard part covered.
You have a real business. Real customers. Real expertise that took years to build.
What you don’t have is enough hours. The marketing, the emails, the product listings, the follow-ups, the systems you keep meaning to set up – all of it competes for the same evenings and Sunday afternoons. And hiring help is harder (and more expensive) than it’s ever been.
That’s the actual problem. Not that you’re behind on technology. That you’re one person doing the work of three.
So no, this isn’t another “AI will change everything” pitch.
You’ve seen the hype. The guys on the internet promising AI will 10x your revenue while you sleep. If your reaction has been an eye roll, good – that instinct is correct, and you’ll fit right in here.
Because here’s the part the hype misses: the reason people choose your business over a big-box store or a faceless website is YOU – your taste, your story, the fact that a real person remembers their name. That doesn’t get automated. Not in this program, not ever.
AI’s job here is back-of-house. It takes the busywork off your plate so you have more hours for the human part – the part that sets your business apart, and the part nobody else can do.
That’s the whole promise. Hours back for the work that matters. Not magic. And that’s what this program is designed to teach you.
Here’s how it works
A working cohort, not a class
‘Grow with AI’ is 10 business owners, 10 weeks, one room. Every week you learn one thing, then immediately put it to work in your actual business – your website, your emails, your content, your systems – with me and nine other business owners in the room while you do it.
By the end of the 10 weeks, AI isn’t just a thing you took a course about. It’s running inside your business, on the tasks you chose, in your voice, with you in charge of it.
The weekly rhythm
- Before each session – you’ll receive a short recorded lesson (15-30 minutes) plus one small prep task, to be done on your own time. The learning happens at home so our time together goes to actual work.
- In person each week – 90 minutes of core learning, discussion, and working on your business. Then an optional 90 minutes of hands-on work time with support in the room. Stay if you can – the lab is where things get finished instead of hanging over your week – but you don’t have to.
- Week 9 is a build week – no in-person session and no new material, just finishing your project with feedback from me (targeted for the week of October 12).
What we cover, in plain terms
The 10 weeks follow one main arc: first AI learns your business, then it goes to work in it.
- Teach AI who you are and what your business is (you’ll build what I call an Owner’s Manual – once it exists, every AI task gets easier and sounds more like you)
- See exactly what strangers (and AI search) find when they look for your business, and fix the gaps
- Read your own data without the spreadsheet headache, and pick the ONE project worth your next six weeks
- Write real content in your actual voice, and publish it before you leave the room
- Fix the most important public-facing thing your business has, whatever that is for you (like your Google Business profile, your website homepage, or something else entirely).
- Map your processes and expertise, then hand one recurring task off to AI for good
- Leave with a 90-day plan, so AI keeps working for you beyond the cohort
No two businesses in the room will use AI the same way, and that’s OK. Everything in ‘Grow with AI’ is designed to be customized and run through your business, your goal, and your voice.
Done, not just discussed
What you’ll build (and keep)
Every week ends with something shipped – not just notes, and not just another to-do list item. By week 10, you’ll have:
- Your Owner’s Manual – a written guide to your business, your voice, and your rules, loaded into your own AI assistant. From week 2 on, you’re not working with generic AI. You’re working with an AI that knows your business.
- Your business’s digital ‘front door,’ fixed – the most important public-facing thing about your business (Google profile, Airbnb listing, website page, wherever customers actually find you) rewritten, accurate, and live.
- Real content, published – at least one email, post, or listing drafted with AI, refined until it sounds like you, and actually sent or posted. Plus a repurposing map so one good piece becomes five.
- One task handed off for good – a recurring job you currently redo by hand every week (replies, FAQs, an intake form, an SOP) built into a system that runs without you.
- A clear read on your own numbers – a baseline of how your business is actually doing, and a simple monthly habit for keeping tabs without drowning in dashboards.
- A 90-day plan – what AI does in your business now, and what it takes on next.
Everything you build is yours. The Manual, the assistant, the content, the systems, the skills. The whole point is that it stays with your business after this 10-week cohort ends.
“The detailed workbook and step-by-step instructions were incredibly helpful. Kara is exceptionally knowledgeable and well-prepared. I was blown away by her presentation and materials, and that’s coming from someone with a corporate background.”
– A. B., attendee of my ‘Get Found’ workshop
Ready to put AI to work?
This is for you if…
- You own an existing business – a shop, a restaurant, a farm operation, a studio, a rental, a service business, an author or artist practice that’s already operating.
- You make the decisions in your business.
- You’re short on hours, not short on drive and ideas.
- You’ve been curious about AI but haven’t had the time (or patience) to figure out what’s real and what’s hype.
- You’re willing to do a small amount of prep between sessions and show up for 10 weeks.
- You can use a smartphone and email. (Seriously, you don’t have to be “techy” to do this.)
This isn’t for you if…
- You have an idea for a business, but not a business yet. (This cohort is focused on existing businesses. We hope to run a cohort that includes people in the ‘idea phase’ later.)
- You can’t realistically commit to the weekly sessions this fall.
- You’re looking for someone to do it all for you. This is a working cohort, so you have to be willing to put in the work to understand it and build it.
- You want the “AI-runs-my-entire-business-while-I-sleep fantasy.” I’ll be teaching the opposite – you stay in charge, AI does the labor.
The Investment
The money, explained plainly
There’s a $500 deposit to hold your seat. Here’s what actually happens to it.
- Complete the program and $250 comes straight back to you.
- You’re also reimbursed up to $200 for AI tools that you put to work in your business (with receipts).
- Which means the program itself costs you about $250, plus your time.
“Completing” means attending at least 7 of the 9 core, in-person sessions and finishing the projects we build along the way – real things for your business you’ll be glad exist.
Why structure it this way? Because free programs get abandoned, and this cohort only works if all 10 people actually show up for each other. The deposit is skin in the game. Finishing is how you get it back.
A note if cost is a barrier…
A limited number of fully funded seats are available for business owners where the cost would genuinely be a barrier, covered by the program’s donor. There’s a place to indicate you’re interested in a donor-funded seat on the application; it’s completely optional, and it doesn’t affect how the rest of your application is assessed.
The real price of this program is 10 weeks of showing up. The deposit is just the handshake.
Meet your instructor
Hi, I’m Kara – And I’m not an AI Guru (That’s the Whole Point)
I’m a Brown County business owner who runs a group-focused tourist rental and event space (the Brown County Barn Burner) and a local travel blog (Tanglewood Hideaway) that thousands of visitors and locals use every week. I’m the marketing department, the operations department, and the person answering the emails – same as you.
I don’t know every AI tool, and I’m not going to pretend to. What I do know is what it looks like to put AI to work inside a real small business, because I’ve been doing exactly that – building systems that answer my inquiries in my voice, turn my data into plain English, and give me back hours I couldn’t have gotten any other way.
This spring I taught the ‘Get Found’ workshops for a room of Brown County business owners and built the Google Business Profile workbook that came out of them. It’s the same thing I’ve been doing here for years in one form or another – helping local businesses get understood, found, and chosen.
What people tell me I’m best at isn’t the tech (although I am good at figuring that part out too). It’s clarity – helping you figure out what’s worth doing, what actually fits your goals, and what you can ignore. That’s what this program really teaches. AI is just the tool we’ll use.
“I tend to have tons of ideas and ‘to do tasks’ but struggle to prioritize which ones need my energy. It really helped me clarify what my focus should be right now.”
– E. W., ‘Get Found’ workshop attendee
“I was a little wary going in, being not computer literate. Kara made it easy for me to understand. It was easier than I expected, and I made real changes.”
– K. D., ‘Get Found’ workshop attendee
Who’s behind this
‘Grow with AI’ is the first cohort of Project Fish, The STEAMery’s adult workforce program, made possible by a generous gift from David and Gail Easterbrook and The Foundation for Ashley’s Dream.
Their support is why a program with this much hands-on time costs participants about $50 instead of $1,000+, and it’s what funds the fully covered seats for owners who couldn’t otherwise swing the cost.
Real tools and real opportunity, put into the hands of local people building something of their own. I’m grateful to be the one teaching it.
You can read more about Project Fish and Ashley’s story on The STEAMery’s website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’ve never touched AI at all?
‘Never touched it,’ ‘tried ChatGPT once and it felt weird,’ and ‘I use it every day’ are all equally good starting points. Everything in the cohort adapts to where you’re actually at with AI.
What if I’m not a tech person?
If you can use a smartphone and email, you can do this. The program is built for business owners, not marketing professionals – everything is in plain language, and the hardest tech moment is logging into an account. After that, it’s mostly making decisions about your own business that only you can make.
How much time does this actually take each week?
Plan on about 3 to 4 hours a week. There will be a 15-30 minute lesson and a small pre-work task that you’ll complete on your own time, plus 90 minutes of in-person teaching and collaboration, and an optional 90-minute work lab. The lab is optional, but it’s where things get finished instead of following you home.
Where Will We Meet For In-Person Sessions?
In the town of Nashville – most likely either the Career Resource Center or the Brown County Barn Burner. The exact location will get locked in along with the weekly day and time, once applicant availability is in. You’ll know both before any deposit is due.
What if I have to miss a week?
Life happens, and the program is built for it. ‘Completing the program’ (to be eligible for reimbursement) means attending at least 7 of the 9 core sessions, so a sick week or a seasonal rush doesn’t sink you.
What does it cost, really?
A $500 deposit holds your seat. Finish the program and $250 comes back, plus up to $200 reimbursed for AI tools you put to work in your business. Net cost to a finisher is about $250.
If cost is a genuine barrier, a limited number of fully funded seats are available – just say so on the application.
Do I need to buy AI tools?
You’ll need accounts with one or two AI tools – free versions work, though many people choose to upgrade to paid at some point. I’ll walk you through setup before week 1, including the privacy settings that matter most. And up to $200 of what you do spend gets reimbursed when you complete the program.
My business is [a farm / a studio / an Airbnb / a service business]. Will this actually apply to me?
Yes – that mix is part of the value of the cohort design. The program is organized around what every business has (an audience, a public presence, content to create, tasks that repeat, data nobody’s looking at), not around any one industry. You’ll choose a project to focus on that matters for your business specifically.
What happens after I apply?
We’re reviewing applications as we receive them and will be in touch by August 5 with a decision on your application and details on the day/time selection for the weekly meeting.
The final weekly day and time gets set based on applicant availability before any deposit is due – so applying doesn’t commit you to a schedule you haven’t seen.
Will there be another cohort if I can’t do this one?
That’s the plan, though nothing’s scheduled yet. If the timing genuinely doesn’t work, apply anyway and say so – you lose nothing, and you’ll be first in line when the next round is set.
Ready to put AI to work? Let’s Make it Happen!
10 weeks | Targeted start the week of August 17, 2026 | Nashville, IN
10 seats. Applications reviewed in the order they arrive.
Still have questions? Reach out, and I’m happy to discuss more.
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