I built an AI C-suite to help me run my small business. As a creative, I was hesitant to use AI, but it's helpful for certain things.

Sara Russell uses AI to help her run her marketing, sales, finance, and product development departments.

Rose Gaffney/Loving Local NYC Sara Russell took her bath-and-body business full-time after being laid off in 2023.

She was hesitant to use AI until she started using Claude to help run her business.

She said AI's negative impacts could reach a tipping point that would make her stop using it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara Russell, a 37-year-old small business founder of Mainland Vintage Bath & Body Boutique , based in Brooklyn, NY.

It's been edited for length and clarity.

I've known about AI for a while, but I was always hesitant to use it.

I don't want it to take away my creative freedom.

I've run my small bath-and-body business full-time since 2023, and the creative side of the business has never been a problem for me.

Building the foundation for a strong, solid company is the part I had very little experience doing.

After I started using Claude projects in February, I had a light bulb moment.

I created Claude projects for every business department I needed, which became a game changer for me.

I feel like I'm not just turning a hobby into a small business; I'm building a business that could, in theory, scale.

Still, what's important to me is how I use AI .