PLEASE JOIN US
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Registration begins 8:30 AM)
Matthew 25: Ministries 11060 Kenwood Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45242
SMART STRATEGIES for changing times
CONFLUENCE™ 2025 is a day filled with expert-led sessions, practical takeaways, speed business mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities designed to help you propel your business forward.
finance • marketing • AI • hiring • resilience
Gain strategies and insights needed to navigate uncertainty and future-proof your business!
grow • adapt • thrive
Kickstart the day with
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval to learn how local leadership and resources can help your business.
Register below
https://www.score.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/CONFLUENCE%202025%20Flyer%20-%2028Jul25.pdf
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Registration begins 8:30 AM)
Matthew 25: Ministries 11060 Kenwood Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45242
SMART STRATEGIES for changing times
CONFLUENCE™ 2025 is a day filled with expert-led sessions, practical takeaways, speed business mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities designed to help you propel your business forward.
finance • marketing • AI • hiring • resilience
Gain strategies and insights needed to navigate uncertainty and future-proof your business!
grow • adapt • thrive
Kickstart the day with
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval to learn how local leadership and resources can help your business.
Register below
https://www.score.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/CONFLUENCE%202025%20Flyer%20-%2028Jul25.pdf
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
My name is Michael Dawson. You'rer host of spores mysinsei
small business Stories. In this episode, we'll be talking with
Jackie grow, CEO of game Day Communications, a media and
marketing agency, and she's also the speaker of Spores Confluence.
We'll find out more about that after this message.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Did you know twice as many small businesses survive past
five years when they have the support from a mentor.
My sincey small business story is brought to you by
the volunteer mentors of Score Greater Cincinnati, a nonprofit organization
that helps launch hundreds of new small businesses and even
more jobs in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana every year.
Our vision is to give every person the support they
(00:41):
need to thrive as a small business owner. Visit score
dot org slash Greater Cincinnati to request a free business
mentor or share your own expertise. You can also listen
and subscribe for more stories about overcoming challenges, clearing obstacles,
and owning a successful small business.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Welcome, Jackie, how are you today?
Speaker 4 (00:59):
It's great great to be here with you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Thank you for folks who may not know about your company.
Wy don't you tell us a little about yourself and
the work you do.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Sure, Jackie Rowe with Game Day Communications. We're a media
and marketing agency based in downtown Cincinnati, going into our
twenty third year, and we work out a lot of
events in town. You have Flying Pig Marathon to we
just finished the Cincinnati Open, a number of events throughout
the year. We also help the arts organizations in town
(01:32):
with marketing and PR and then have a number of
corporate clients as well.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Wow, full plate plate.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah, if it's not fun, we don't work on it.
I'd like to say, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That's good. That's good. Well, speaking of fun, you're a
speaker at this year's Scores Confluence. It's actually the fourth
year for that, and this year the theme is smart
Strategies for Changing Times and there will be expert speakers
like yourself talking about a lot of different topics. So
it will be speed mentoring and a great opportunity to network.
(02:06):
The keynote this year is Carl Satterwhite, president of RCF Group.
Also mayor f Ted Purlhol will open up the event. So, Jackie,
why is an event like confluence so timely for small businesses?
In twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
For me, I have to take you back to two
thousand and two and my business partner, Betsy Ross and
I were we had a business plan for game Day,
and I was still at the sun Study Art Museum.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And she was still at ESPN.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And I took the month of August off because if
I didn't, I would have lost the vacation where I
was at the sin Study Art Museum. So I spent
that month really talking to people, sharing my business plan.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
What do you like, what do you think will work,
what do you think won't work?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And I found myself meeting with SCORE advisors and it
was very helpful to me and Betsy in a number
of ways, and I I still think about it. We
took a class at a small business class that you
see that one of the SCORE representatives recommended, and here
we are twenty three years later. So what I would
first say is just, you know, for small business owners
(03:12):
or those who are looking to make the plunge into entrepreneurship,
you know, take a close look at SCORE and how
they can assist you and really just getting your business
on track from the beginning.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
And for me, you know, again that's an honor to.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Be invited to speak at Confluence just about everything that's
happening for small business in our community.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
These are strange.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Times we live in, and so I think, first of all,
it's just great to get small businesses and owners into
a room together and you know, one part therapy session,
one part strategy session, one part hey.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
How can we do business together?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And so that's what I love about these types of
networking opportunities, and that's why I think they're so important.
And I think SCORE and the Confluence organizers for bringing
everyone together.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
How do you see the theme of resilience and adaptability
playing out in the sessions that come forwards?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Oh, it couldn't be more timely.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I was just looking at the lineup and it's it's
a remarkable lineup.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I'm honored to be part of it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And I think, you know, the things that really popped
off the page the flyer for me are cash flow
and really understanding your cash flow and how cash flow
is king and really taking a look at, you know,
the end of the year, if you're on a calendar year,
what does twenty twenty six look like, and how you
can really make sure your cash is flowing properly for
(04:36):
your business. And then I think I think under always
an important topic is understanding your customer and they're changing
needs and they're changing wants. That that's crucial to any business,
large or small. And then I think AI, where I
come in and where Whitney, who's also speaking on AI
come in, is just really I'm going to I'm going
(04:58):
to give you kind of the strategy you behind it,
how to implement it as a productivity tool, and then
Whitney is going to give you more than nuts and
bolts of how to use AI on a daily basis.
So I think, you know, coming to the table with curiosity,
with ideas, with things that have worked, maybe some opportunities
that you want to discuss.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I think that's the beauty of what the day will offer.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So, Jackie, your sessions called prompt your Way to successful
marketing and social Media Strategies using AI. Can you walk
me through that a little bit? That's what does that mean?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I really started using AI and earnest about a
year and a half ago, I guess maybe a year
ago last summer, I'd say, And for me it was
more of a oh, this is fun kind of tool,
and then I really started reading up on it and
studying it and just really understanding it in a i'd
(05:53):
say personal way first and then took it over into
a professional way. And for me, you know, misterategic communicator,
I love strategy. I love helping people think about the
strategy that's going to help fulfill their business objectives. And
so for me, what I really started thinking about is, Okay,
how are we a game day going to implement AI.
(06:17):
And we started really with a policy and what we
want to do with AI, what we don't want to
do with AI, And then we trained everyone on our
team and really and continue to train. We have Jarrett
on our team that's you know, i'd say a third
of his job is really business intelligence and how we
can use AI as a productivity tool and really organization ideation,
(06:40):
whatever that may look like. So it's really what's the plan,
what's the policy? And then really for me, it was
creating that prompt library and really understanding how to engineer
prompts into AI, because at the end of the day,
AI is math, right, so you need to prompt it
properly and consistently to create voice of whatever customer we're
(07:02):
talking to. So I think that's that's what I'll talk
to folks about is just really understanding how to use
it as a productivity tool, a new idea tool, and
really how to cut down hours in your day using
this this terrific tool.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Also, you are offering up a twenty eight day challenge
and how can a small business or use it to
start building confidence in AI.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
We're all busy.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
We're all busy running our businesses, our family, our lives.
And so what I've done is I've broken down AI
in about twenty eight days. And it's just one thing
a day. I mean, you can you can pick up
your phone after you wake up and do it. And
for me, AI really came to the forefront probably this summer.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I read two books back to back.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I read Five Types of Wealth, and then I read
Building a Second Brain, which is really kind of organizing
your digital life and how you think about your creative potential.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
And so I started thinking about, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Five types of wealth, which are our time, physical, mental, social,
and financial. And so I really started thinking about that
time portion and how am I spending my day and
how I.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Could be more productive.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
And I already think I'm productive enough because I'm a
three on the enneagram. So my lists have listened. I
try to be as organized as I can. But then
I started thinking about, okay, this digital life. So for me,
when I wake up every day, I've got a list
on my phone and priority and I take a look
at that and say, okay, how can AI help me
(08:35):
organize this better be more productive? And you know, that's
really how I start my day now. So that's what
I want to get across to those who are in
the room. Through this twenty eight day challenge, you'll start
to train your brain of how to how to use
AI as a productivity in an organizational tool to better
your business.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Can you give us an example of a simple but
powerful AI prompt a small business owner could try today?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I think the one that came to mind for me
would be a competitive analysis. So a prompt might be
something like research these five companies. So you'll need to
list the four companies that you know see in the
waiting room if you will, or see in the RFP process,
including your own. So research these five companies over the
(09:24):
last thirty days to summarize new clients, new employees, launched
products in any news. So that's a competitive analysis that
will be at your fingertips in probably thirty seconds or less. Well,
and again this is math based right this, So with AI,
I will caution you, you know, don't get lazy, right,
(09:45):
don't get lazy. There are AI has hallucinizations, you know,
the hallucinizations are.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
It will make up things. And one example I'll give
you is I was I was.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Using it for something and there was a woman's named
Tracy and I had prompted it and I said, I
better check this.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Well it was t r Aci.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
So I always fact check, you know, I'm double triple
checking anything that I would put out into the public
with AI, and would encourage everyone to do that as well.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Very interesting. It's sort of the devil or the you know,
the savior sort of thing, right.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Other than yourself, there are other presenters at Confluence covering
a number of topics, Finance being one. Manage cashflow, which
you mentioned earlier, and the pleasant It is going to
be doing that with a couple other people. Unfortunately I
don't have their names right in front of me. Another
(10:49):
important issue is hiring for small businesses. You want to
hire slow and let people go fast. It's the old expression,
and that's going to be handled by Tracy from and
then resilience. This is kind of different for a business workshop.
She's going to be talking about tools for mental health
and adaptability within your life and within your business life.
(11:13):
And then consumer insights and product validation would be wrong
Buyers and Bonnie brid and again Jackie will be taking
on the role as the AI person and I'm really
excited I'll be there that day. So outside of AI,
what are some of the other smart strategies that small
businesses should be focusing on in twenty five and twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
You know, I would really take again take a look
at your customer base. You know, who is your customer
you know, segment your customer base, right, They're not all
the same, and what do they need from you? What
additional support? What headache can you take off their plate?
So I think listening to your clients is really important
and then creating that system, that protocol, that process to
(11:57):
help them. And I think once we you know, instead
of chasing new business all the time, it's really taking
a deeper dive into the current client base that you
may already have and how you can assist them with
being successful.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
And again, these these.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Strange times we live in I love that we're talking
about everything from finance to hiring to resilience. I think
mental health and adaptability for small business owners is key.
You know, we're always on and it's important to take
a break to you know, unplug the computer, turn the
phone off for a minute, catch your breath, and you know,
(12:34):
enjoy life a little bit. So I think that's really
important for small businesses to hear that message. You know.
The other thing I would say too is for me,
I have found joy and impact in volunteering and giving
back to our great community here in Cincinnati. So I
would say, you know, take a look around, what are
your employees, what what other nonprofits might resonate with the
(12:56):
mission of your company, the objectives of your company, and
how you mightner and you know, create a cause marketing
partnership with a nonprofit. You know, we're so fortunate to
have so many great nonprofits in our community, whether it's
the arts, whether it's social services, education, healthcare, you know,
whatever that may be. So I think take a look at,
(13:17):
you know, maybe what your your cause marketing strategy is
in twenty twenty six, and how you can partner with
a nonprofit that.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Leads into a good question. What role does community mentors, peers,
local leadership play in the small business success.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
It's a huge opportunity, it's a it's a great strategy
for a small business to align themselves with a nonprofit
for board leadership, volunteer leadership. You know, for me, I
focus my volunteerism on women's causes, the YWCA of Greater
Cincinnati Dress for Success, and then higher education with Ohio
(13:55):
University Countation in Mount Saint jo And for me, I say,
I was raised by a single other. I would have
nothing without Ohio University. And so that's where I like
to pay it forward. So I think, you know, find
your passion and find your cause that gets you excited.
And I guarantee those nonprofits will definitely take take you
up on your offer to support them, either with your time,
(14:17):
treasure or talent.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
So we've been talking about confluence, but I'm going to
give you some details now. The event is September seventeenth.
It will be held at Matthew twenty five Ministries in
Blue Ash, Ohio. You can register and get an early
bird discount of forty nine dollars. The regular price is
seventy nine. All you need to do is go to
(14:42):
score dot org slash Greater Cincinnati and you will find
more information about the event and you can register. I
encourage you to register soon. We think we're going to
have a really good turnout this year. The speakers are amazing,
the topics are timely. You just really shouldn't this one, Jackie.
So tell me why people should attend Confluence From your point.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Of view, yeah, I think folks should attend Confluence. Small
business owners really, anyone who's interested in business in these
changing times is really from the speakers that I know
and that I've researched who will be a Confluence. They're
going to give you ideas that you can take away
straight to your desk. You know, they're going to give
(15:27):
you ideas to implement and put into action the next day.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So for me that's important.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I love hearing success stories of other small business owners,
best practices, how I can learn from them and you know,
put put those into my business strategy.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
The other thing I would say, it's just great networking.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
You know, it's great to get out of the office,
you know, get out of the shop and just talk
to other like minded people who are you know, fighting
a good fight, running a small business or a medium
sized business, whatever it may be.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
So for me, I think take the day. It's a
great timing. You're thinking about twenty twenty six. You know,
maybe there's some new ideas.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
You want to run by other small business leaders who
you know, you're not competing against every day, and just
to get their their input. Maybe they've tried it, maybe
it's worked, maybe it hasn't. So I think, you know,
for me, it's it's taking the ideas, putting them into
action immediately, and then learning from other business leaders and
networking and you know, maybe finding a new peer that
you can go have coffee with once a quarter and
(16:25):
run some ideas by each other.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
How can listeners learn more about you and game day Communications?
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Well, I would love to tell you about game day Communications.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I mean, if anyone wants to learn more, they can
definitely check out our website at game daypr dot com.
I'm on LinkedIn. It's Jackie and then my last name
is Tricky. It's our eau. So it's Jackie row on LinkedIn.
Happy to connect with anyone listening.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, thank you for joining us on the podcast, Jackie,
I really appreciate it. I am looking forward to your
session at Confluence, and I'm encouraging everybody to go to
score dot org, slash Greater Cincinnati and sign up for
Confluence twenty twenty five. Thank you again, Jackie, Thank you Mike.
(17:11):
If you would like to sign up with a mentor
or would like to become a mentor, go to score
dot org and click on the appropriate link. Please subscribe
to this podcast, share the link, and very much so
thank you for listening.
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
My name is Michael Dawson. You'rer host of spores mysinsei
small business Stories. In this episode, we'll be talking with
Jackie grow, CEO of game Day Communications, a media and
marketing agency, and she's also the speaker of Spores Confluence.
We'll find out more about that after this message.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Did you know twice as many small businesses survive past
five years when they have the support from a mentor.
My sincey small business story is brought to you by
the volunteer mentors of Score Greater Cincinnati, a nonprofit organization
that helps launch hundreds of new small businesses and even
more jobs in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana every year.
Our vision is to give every person the support they
(00:41):
need to thrive as a small business owner. Visit score
dot org slash Greater Cincinnati to request a free business
mentor or share your own expertise. You can also listen
and subscribe for more stories about overcoming challenges, clearing obstacles,
and owning a successful small business.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Welcome, Jackie, how are you today?
Speaker 4 (00:59):
It's great great to be here with you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Thank you for folks who may not know about your company.
Wy don't you tell us a little about yourself and
the work you do.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Sure, Jackie Rowe with Game Day Communications. We're a media
and marketing agency based in downtown Cincinnati, going into our
twenty third year, and we work out a lot of
events in town. You have Flying Pig Marathon to we
just finished the Cincinnati Open, a number of events throughout
the year. We also help the arts organizations in town
(01:32):
with marketing and PR and then have a number of
corporate clients as well.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Wow, full plate plate.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah, if it's not fun, we don't work on it.
I'd like to say, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That's good. That's good. Well, speaking of fun, you're a
speaker at this year's Scores Confluence. It's actually the fourth
year for that, and this year the theme is smart
Strategies for Changing Times and there will be expert speakers
like yourself talking about a lot of different topics. So
it will be speed mentoring and a great opportunity to network.
(02:06):
The keynote this year is Carl Satterwhite, president of RCF Group.
Also mayor f Ted Purlhol will open up the event. So, Jackie,
why is an event like confluence so timely for small businesses?
In twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
For me, I have to take you back to two
thousand and two and my business partner, Betsy Ross and
I were we had a business plan for game Day,
and I was still at the sun Study Art Museum.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And she was still at ESPN.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And I took the month of August off because if
I didn't, I would have lost the vacation where I
was at the sin Study Art Museum. So I spent
that month really talking to people, sharing my business plan.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
What do you like, what do you think will work,
what do you think won't work?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And I found myself meeting with SCORE advisors and it
was very helpful to me and Betsy in a number
of ways, and I I still think about it. We
took a class at a small business class that you
see that one of the SCORE representatives recommended, and here
we are twenty three years later. So what I would
first say is just, you know, for small business owners
(03:12):
or those who are looking to make the plunge into entrepreneurship,
you know, take a close look at SCORE and how
they can assist you and really just getting your business
on track from the beginning.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
And for me, you know, again that's an honor to.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Be invited to speak at Confluence just about everything that's
happening for small business in our community.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
These are strange.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Times we live in, and so I think, first of all,
it's just great to get small businesses and owners into
a room together and you know, one part therapy session,
one part strategy session, one part hey.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
How can we do business together?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And so that's what I love about these types of
networking opportunities, and that's why I think they're so important.
And I think SCORE and the Confluence organizers for bringing
everyone together.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
How do you see the theme of resilience and adaptability
playing out in the sessions that come forwards?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Oh, it couldn't be more timely.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
I was just looking at the lineup and it's it's
a remarkable lineup.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I'm honored to be part of it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And I think, you know, the things that really popped
off the page the flyer for me are cash flow
and really understanding your cash flow and how cash flow
is king and really taking a look at, you know,
the end of the year, if you're on a calendar year,
what does twenty twenty six look like, and how you
can really make sure your cash is flowing properly for
(04:36):
your business. And then I think I think under always
an important topic is understanding your customer and they're changing
needs and they're changing wants. That that's crucial to any business,
large or small. And then I think AI, where I
come in and where Whitney, who's also speaking on AI
come in, is just really I'm going to I'm going
(04:58):
to give you kind of the strategy you behind it,
how to implement it as a productivity tool, and then
Whitney is going to give you more than nuts and
bolts of how to use AI on a daily basis.
So I think, you know, coming to the table with curiosity,
with ideas, with things that have worked, maybe some opportunities
that you want to discuss.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I think that's the beauty of what the day will offer.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So, Jackie, your sessions called prompt your Way to successful
marketing and social Media Strategies using AI. Can you walk
me through that a little bit? That's what does that mean?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I really started using AI and earnest about a
year and a half ago, I guess maybe a year
ago last summer, I'd say, And for me it was
more of a oh, this is fun kind of tool,
and then I really started reading up on it and
studying it and just really understanding it in a i'd
(05:53):
say personal way first and then took it over into
a professional way. And for me, you know, misterategic communicator,
I love strategy. I love helping people think about the
strategy that's going to help fulfill their business objectives. And
so for me, what I really started thinking about is, Okay,
how are we a game day going to implement AI.
(06:17):
And we started really with a policy and what we
want to do with AI, what we don't want to
do with AI, And then we trained everyone on our
team and really and continue to train. We have Jarrett
on our team that's you know, i'd say a third
of his job is really business intelligence and how we
can use AI as a productivity tool and really organization ideation,
(06:40):
whatever that may look like. So it's really what's the plan,
what's the policy? And then really for me, it was
creating that prompt library and really understanding how to engineer
prompts into AI, because at the end of the day,
AI is math, right, so you need to prompt it
properly and consistently to create voice of whatever customer we're
(07:02):
talking to. So I think that's that's what I'll talk
to folks about is just really understanding how to use
it as a productivity tool, a new idea tool, and
really how to cut down hours in your day using
this this terrific tool.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Also, you are offering up a twenty eight day challenge
and how can a small business or use it to
start building confidence in AI.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
We're all busy.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
We're all busy running our businesses, our family, our lives.
And so what I've done is I've broken down AI
in about twenty eight days. And it's just one thing
a day. I mean, you can you can pick up
your phone after you wake up and do it. And
for me, AI really came to the forefront probably this summer.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I read two books back to back.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I read Five Types of Wealth, and then I read
Building a Second Brain, which is really kind of organizing
your digital life and how you think about your creative potential.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
And so I started thinking about, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Five types of wealth, which are our time, physical, mental, social,
and financial. And so I really started thinking about that
time portion and how am I spending my day and
how I.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Could be more productive.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
And I already think I'm productive enough because I'm a
three on the enneagram. So my lists have listened. I
try to be as organized as I can. But then
I started thinking about, okay, this digital life. So for me,
when I wake up every day, I've got a list
on my phone and priority and I take a look
at that and say, okay, how can AI help me
(08:35):
organize this better be more productive? And you know, that's
really how I start my day now. So that's what
I want to get across to those who are in
the room. Through this twenty eight day challenge, you'll start
to train your brain of how to how to use
AI as a productivity in an organizational tool to better
your business.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Can you give us an example of a simple but
powerful AI prompt a small business owner could try today?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I think the one that came to mind for me
would be a competitive analysis. So a prompt might be
something like research these five companies. So you'll need to
list the four companies that you know see in the
waiting room if you will, or see in the RFP process,
including your own. So research these five companies over the
(09:24):
last thirty days to summarize new clients, new employees, launched
products in any news. So that's a competitive analysis that
will be at your fingertips in probably thirty seconds or less. Well,
and again this is math based right this, So with AI,
I will caution you, you know, don't get lazy, right,
(09:45):
don't get lazy. There are AI has hallucinizations, you know,
the hallucinizations are.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
It will make up things. And one example I'll give
you is I was I was.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Using it for something and there was a woman's named
Tracy and I had prompted it and I said, I
better check this.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Well it was t r Aci.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
So I always fact check, you know, I'm double triple
checking anything that I would put out into the public
with AI, and would encourage everyone to do that as well.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Very interesting. It's sort of the devil or the you know,
the savior sort of thing, right.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Other than yourself, there are other presenters at Confluence covering
a number of topics, Finance being one. Manage cashflow, which
you mentioned earlier, and the pleasant It is going to
be doing that with a couple other people. Unfortunately I
don't have their names right in front of me. Another
(10:49):
important issue is hiring for small businesses. You want to
hire slow and let people go fast. It's the old expression,
and that's going to be handled by Tracy from and
then resilience. This is kind of different for a business workshop.
She's going to be talking about tools for mental health
and adaptability within your life and within your business life.
(11:13):
And then consumer insights and product validation would be wrong
Buyers and Bonnie brid and again Jackie will be taking
on the role as the AI person and I'm really
excited I'll be there that day. So outside of AI,
what are some of the other smart strategies that small
businesses should be focusing on in twenty five and twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
You know, I would really take again take a look
at your customer base. You know, who is your customer
you know, segment your customer base, right, They're not all
the same, and what do they need from you? What
additional support? What headache can you take off their plate?
So I think listening to your clients is really important
and then creating that system, that protocol, that process to
(11:57):
help them. And I think once we you know, instead
of chasing new business all the time, it's really taking
a deeper dive into the current client base that you
may already have and how you can assist them with
being successful.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
And again, these these.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Strange times we live in I love that we're talking
about everything from finance to hiring to resilience. I think
mental health and adaptability for small business owners is key.
You know, we're always on and it's important to take
a break to you know, unplug the computer, turn the
phone off for a minute, catch your breath, and you know,
(12:34):
enjoy life a little bit. So I think that's really
important for small businesses to hear that message. You know.
The other thing I would say too is for me,
I have found joy and impact in volunteering and giving
back to our great community here in Cincinnati. So I
would say, you know, take a look around, what are
your employees, what what other nonprofits might resonate with the
(12:56):
mission of your company, the objectives of your company, and
how you mightner and you know, create a cause marketing
partnership with a nonprofit. You know, we're so fortunate to
have so many great nonprofits in our community, whether it's
the arts, whether it's social services, education, healthcare, you know,
whatever that may be. So I think take a look at,
(13:17):
you know, maybe what your your cause marketing strategy is
in twenty twenty six, and how you can partner with
a nonprofit that.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Leads into a good question. What role does community mentors, peers,
local leadership play in the small business success.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
It's a huge opportunity, it's a it's a great strategy
for a small business to align themselves with a nonprofit
for board leadership, volunteer leadership. You know, for me, I
focus my volunteerism on women's causes, the YWCA of Greater
Cincinnati Dress for Success, and then higher education with Ohio
(13:55):
University Countation in Mount Saint jo And for me, I say,
I was raised by a single other. I would have
nothing without Ohio University. And so that's where I like
to pay it forward. So I think, you know, find
your passion and find your cause that gets you excited.
And I guarantee those nonprofits will definitely take take you
up on your offer to support them, either with your time,
(14:17):
treasure or talent.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
So we've been talking about confluence, but I'm going to
give you some details now. The event is September seventeenth.
It will be held at Matthew twenty five Ministries in
Blue Ash, Ohio. You can register and get an early
bird discount of forty nine dollars. The regular price is
seventy nine. All you need to do is go to
(14:42):
score dot org slash Greater Cincinnati and you will find
more information about the event and you can register. I
encourage you to register soon. We think we're going to
have a really good turnout this year. The speakers are amazing,
the topics are timely. You just really shouldn't this one, Jackie.
So tell me why people should attend Confluence From your point.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Of view, yeah, I think folks should attend Confluence. Small
business owners really, anyone who's interested in business in these
changing times is really from the speakers that I know
and that I've researched who will be a Confluence. They're
going to give you ideas that you can take away
straight to your desk. You know, they're going to give
(15:27):
you ideas to implement and put into action the next day.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
So for me that's important.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I love hearing success stories of other small business owners,
best practices, how I can learn from them and you know,
put put those into my business strategy.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
The other thing I would say, it's just great networking.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
You know, it's great to get out of the office,
you know, get out of the shop and just talk
to other like minded people who are you know, fighting
a good fight, running a small business or a medium
sized business, whatever it may be.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
So for me, I think take the day. It's a
great timing. You're thinking about twenty twenty six. You know,
maybe there's some new ideas.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
You want to run by other small business leaders who
you know, you're not competing against every day, and just
to get their their input. Maybe they've tried it, maybe
it's worked, maybe it hasn't. So I think, you know,
for me, it's it's taking the ideas, putting them into
action immediately, and then learning from other business leaders and
networking and you know, maybe finding a new peer that
you can go have coffee with once a quarter and
(16:25):
run some ideas by each other.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
How can listeners learn more about you and game day Communications?
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Well, I would love to tell you about game day Communications.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I mean, if anyone wants to learn more, they can
definitely check out our website at game daypr dot com.
I'm on LinkedIn. It's Jackie and then my last name
is Tricky. It's our eau. So it's Jackie row on LinkedIn.
Happy to connect with anyone listening.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, thank you for joining us on the podcast, Jackie,
I really appreciate it. I am looking forward to your
session at Confluence, and I'm encouraging everybody to go to
score dot org, slash Greater Cincinnati and sign up for
Confluence twenty twenty five. Thank you again, Jackie, Thank you Mike.
(17:11):
If you would like to sign up with a mentor
or would like to become a mentor, go to score
dot org and click on the appropriate link. Please subscribe
to this podcast, share the link, and very much so
thank you for listening.
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