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.

Series 1 Episode 4

There is no single solution to mental health challenges in business. What helps is a framework that people can adapt to their own circumstances. This episode introduces the ABC approach:

A — Awareness Regularly checking in with yourself. Noticing how work affects your mood, sleep and energy. Identifying patterns — what lifts you up and what drains you.

B — Behaviours and boundaries Once patterns are clear, small changes become possible. Setting clearer working hours. Creating processes for stressful tasks like chasing payment. Protecting sleep, movement and breaks. Removing unnecessary emotion from repeat stressors by turning them into systems.

C — Community and connection Finding spaces where other small business owners talk honestly about work. Listening first. Asking questions when ready. Supporting others as well as receiving support. Community doesn’t just help emotionally — it also fills knowledge gaps and builds confidence.

Together, these three elements help people move from reacting to pressure to managing it more deliberately. Mental health becomes part of how the business is run, rather than something addressed only when things go wrong. Final note for listeners If you’re running a business and any of this resonates, you’re not alone — and you’re not failing. These pressures are common, understandable and shared by millions of people working in the same way. Support, resources and peer connection are available through Business111.com. You don’t have to solve everything at once. Sometimes, simply recognising what you’re dealing with is the first step towards holding it together.

Business111.com Podcast Series One - Episode Two

Small business stress rarely comes from one dramatic event. It builds slowly, through everyday frictions that pile up.

Late payment is one of the biggest contributors. Waiting for money that’s already been earned affects sleep, confidence and decision-making. Ghosting — where clients disappear after requesting quotes or proposals — adds uncertainty and self-doubt. Many business owners begin to question their value or competence, even when they’ve done nothing wrong.

Competition has intensified. More people are choosing self-employment, while economic pressures have reduced certainty and security. Social media and professional platforms amplify comparison, often showing only success stories and making others feel they’re falling behind.

At the same time, traditional safety nets don’t always apply. Advice designed for employees — “speak to your manager”, “take some time off” — often doesn’t translate to self-employment. That mismatch leaves people feeling unsupported and unseen.

This episode explores how these pressures interact and why they so often affect confidence, motivation and resilience — even in people who are otherwise capable and experienced.

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.

Series 1 Episode 3

Isolation in business is not just about being physically alone. Many people work around others every day and still feel unable to talk honestly about stress, fear or overwhelm. Clients are not always safe spaces for openness. Admitting pressure can feel risky when future work depends on appearing capable and calm. Friends and family may care deeply but not fully understand the realities of running a business. What the research shows clearly is that connection matters — but it needs to be meaningful. People who are part of peer communities, who can ask questions without judgement and share uncertainty, tend to experience much better wellbeing over time. This doesn’t require constant interaction or forced networking. Often it starts with listening — hearing others talk about similar challenges and recognising your own experience in theirs. Over time, that shared understanding reduces isolation and helps people regain perspective. This episode focuses on why isolation is so damaging, and why community — in the right form — is one of the strongest protective factors for small business owners.