In Series 5 of Classroom 5.0, NeuroPEAK, I’m sitting down with visionary leaders to reveal the strategies and strengths that power peak performance in neurodivergent professionals.

In episode 46 of Classroom 5.0, I'm joined by Jade Warne, founder of the Small Business Growth Club, who shared her journey as an entrepreneur, the influence of a creative upbringing, and the unique strengths neurodiversity brings to the business world. 

With wisdom from her family's Samoan roots and a knack for modern AI tools, Jade shares her approach to entrepreneurship, family, and the importance of fostering flexibility, service mindset and creativity in the workplace.

Key highlights :

• 03:03 - Jade’s upbringing and early career: Jade reflects on her family’s influence, particularly her mother’s ingenuity and resourcefulness, and her experience working with high-achievers in university and the magazine industry.

• 09:45 - Neurodiversity and entrepreneurship: Discussing the high representation of neurodivergent people in entrepreneurship, Jade and Mariane explore the unique qualities that neurodiversity brings to the table.

• 13:26 - Barriers and vulnerabilities in small business: The conversation turns to challenges like burnout and the importance of setting a balanced digital “diet” for mental health.

• 16:00 - Values and impact in small business: Jade shares her philosophy of a service-driven business model focused on deeply understanding and supporting customers.

• 23:10 - AI’s role for entrepreneurs: Jade explains how she uses ChatGPT and other AI tools to streamline business processes, increase productivity, and overcome the overwhelm of running a small business - tips that are particularly useful for our ADHD community!

• 30:33 - The need for (and benefits of) workplace flexibility: Advocating for more flexible workplaces, Jade discusses the importance of accommodating different life stages and responsibilities.

• 38:33 - Quick fire round: Jade reflects on concepts like an impact mindset, inclusive impact, and living a meaningful life, highlighting figures who inspire her, including Glennon Doyle and Cherie Clonan.

"The workplaces we’ve had don’t fit the human lifecycle. They suit one type of person in one phase of their life—someone unencumbered with responsibilities. People deserve physical health and mental health. Money is important, but only in the mix of seeing other people, serving them, and being able to survive and thrive"​

Listen to the full episode here : 

 

Links to Resources Discussed: 

• Learn more about Small Business Growth Club and how you can work with Jade here
  
• Connect with Jade on instagram here
• Read 'The Art of Bleisure' by Emma Lovell here

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Classroom 5.0.

If you loved this episode, why not share it with a friend, and you haven't already, come connect with me on social : 

Ready to finally take action on those big goals you're chasing? Get your free ADHD Motivation guidebook, Master Your Mind and Find Your Mojo! 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Mariane (00:53)

Welcome back to Classroom 5 .0. Today I have with me Jade Warne, who is the founder and owner of

 

Small Business Growth Club. We're going to hear all about that business, but before we do, Jade, welcome. Can we start please with an introduction for yourself? Let us know who you are, how you show up in the world and why and what your impact is that you're creating at the moment.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (01:14)

thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I'm Jade, as you mentioned, the founder of Small Business Growth Club. am most importantly, a mum of three little humans. That's a really big and important driving factor in what I do. And I'm also the eldest of seven children. So I think this is something I don't talk about. Yeah, it's something that I hardly often share, but it is very obviously deep and powerful and very impactful to my kind of personal

 

Mariane (01:25)

Mm -hmm.

 

I didn't know that, no. Wow.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (01:43)

upbringing and my perspective on life is, yeah, being surrounded by a lot of people all the time. And so yeah, I apply my skills in the market as a photographer, a videographer, and a small business growth coach where I really help small entrepreneurs or anyone with a creative idea to communicate what they can offer to the world and to really get that message out there in a way that compels people to take action and compels others to

 

Listen up, pay attention and potentially even buy. So I think that is really what I, what I do. And I'm excited to spend time today with you talking about that.

 

Mariane (02:22)

me too. And for those of you in my personal circle, you know that I'm the biggest Jade fan. I'm also a member of the Small Business Growth Club and I'm just loving everything that you are providing with us to take action. Cause that's one of the barriers that we're going to speak to today. But before we, before we deep dive into that, I've just learned something new about you coming from your family of seven. And some of the other things I'm learning about you is your segue into your own entrepreneurial experience and being a female founder.

 

but out of the corporate sector. And I wondered if you could kind of double click on that history for us. You got to learn today by the way listeners, Jade is like the ultimate creative multi -hyphenite. So yes, lots and lots and lots of different experiences. us back a little bit to the early days.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (03:03)

Yeah, so I guess, yeah, it really starts with my mum. My mum is just an incredible woman. So she's from Samoa. She's the tiny little island in the middle of the Pacific. And you know, really, then when you think about it, it was her mum as well. So when you think about growing up on the islands, they don't have the resources that we have, they don't have the opportunities that we have. And so the people who thrive and survive on the islands are the people who are resourceful. They're the people who

 

are ingenious and they are the people who take action. And you know, that would describe my mum just perfectly. She is a woman who has always run her own business. She's actually a seamstress. So she's always constructed her own clothing. And really innovatively, she is the one in my family who is using AI the most these days. She's one of the very first Australian pattern makers to take advantage of computer aided design in pattern making. And she, you know, has applied her skills and services to all kinds of

 

amazing Australian designers that you would be very familiar with people like Basic, Ginger and Smart, Camilla and Mark, know, Dion Lee, Romance was Born, the whole spectrum of you know, amazing Australian designers, someone in the back end there is converting a designer's sketch to a pattern that is then sent offshore to be cut, produced, manufactured and sent back.

 

to us and that is my mum's business. you can see straight away the focus on what's the word, ingenuity on spotlighting, particular pain points and then using technology to really unblock any barriers there. And one thing my mum does and I really wanna highlight this is, sustainability in fashion is a huge concern for everyone. But when you're using technology, you can actually create designs, have designs visually.

 

Mariane (04:31)

Hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (04:51)

kind of displayed, you can have them walking up and down the runway so that designers can really get a sense for, how does this design translate into the physical world? What do I need to change now before it goes into production to get it the way I want it to be? And my mum is on the forefront of building and using that AI technology to really empower designers to make better production decisions. And, you know, that's, mean, I'm just like, I'm a tiny little minnow compared to her, like the way the work that she does, but it's very, very much inspires me. Yeah.

 

Mariane (05:00)

you

 

This is amazing. What's your mum's name? Wish you might of sharing.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (05:23)

Twila from Couture Designs. So yes, she's incredible.

 

Mariane (05:28)

Wow, want to sit down and have dinner party with her already. And seven kids in amongst of all of, wow, yeah. Okay, now I can see the influence. It sounds like entrepreneurial spirit was probably there and all of the characteristics and attributes growing up anyway, I'm guessing.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (05:32)

Is that sort of, yes.

 

Mariane (05:46)

But tell us what it was like then to have that upbringing and then walk into your early career days.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (05:51)

Yeah, and I think, you know, this is one thing that your listeners might really relate to is that, you know, yes, one side of being creative is a real kind of like asset, you know, you really have these original thoughts. But the other kind of side of being creative is that, you know, it's really hard to to fit in in a cultural landscape that really encourages everyone to conform and to really kind of fit in very narrow parameters for what, you know, is kind of

 

Mariane (06:18)

Hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (06:19)

Acceptable or not acceptable, but what is desirable in the workplace. So I'm definitely the child of two entrepreneurial parents. And I really appreciate, you know, the blessing and the curse of that, of what it means. And yeah, going forward from there, I definitely, you know, explored uni and was surrounded by a bunch of super overachievers again in university. So really inspired by those guys. So Mike Cannon Brooks from Atlassian was part of my year in university and a whole bunch of equally

 

Mariane (06:32)

Yeah.

 

Wow.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (06:49)

famous and talented people again, who I am nothing to, but, you know, inspired by that, then kind of exploring the different ways you can make an impact on people's lives. And my kind of one of the places that I went to after university was working for a few financial firms, yes, but then also working in magazines, because I love this idea of how publishing and magazines and you know, Vogue and the September issue could

 

essentially command a billion dollar industry around fashion and beauty and that impact, that influence, isn't that interesting? What's behind that? What kind of power is that? Because wouldn't it be amazing to use the power of Vogue to highlight the importance of neurodiverse kind of workplaces and such? And what could you do if you were able to harness that kind of formula and apply it to different areas of society, not just consumption and fashion and beauty?

 

Mariane (07:17)

Mm.

 

Hmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (07:40)

So that was always of interest to me. It still continues to be of interest to me. We think about Instagram. Instagram is essentially a fashion magazine turned into an app in your pocket. So yeah, it is interesting.

 

Mariane (07:41)

Yeah.

 

That is so true. That is so interesting. And you raised such a valid point. I'm curious to hear since you were in that land of magazine, we're digressing a little bit, we do that on this podcast. Are you seeing more of a shift towards positive impact and an appreciation of harnessing your public messaging and profiling for good? Where do you see that we're headed and what's kind of the gap that's closed if at all since your time in the magazines?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (08:15)

Yeah. Well, definitely, you know, the culture, the culture shifts dramatically, you know, even in our lifetime, it's shifted incredibly. And I think that is such a positive thing. You know, and I think that's just, you know, that, that, that tension between how fast the culture moves and then how fast policy moves to catch up and, know, people's attitudes, that it's such a kind of, it's a crazy mix, isn't it? And absolutely, I see, you know,

 

Mariane (08:21)

Mm.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (08:44)

I think at the end of the day, when you think about magazines, you think about, you know, the face of one woman on the cover of a magazine and her impact to set the agenda and to set what is beauty, what is important, what do women want? Like that's really powerful. And credit to those women, they have, they have set the agenda. You think about Jessica Alba back in the day with her organic brand, her little organic brand. Well, now every brand is organic. And so it really does highlight and underscore the power of women to make an impact on the economy.

 

Mariane (08:51)

Mm. Mm, the conversation. Yeah.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (09:13)

And I love being part of that.

 

Mariane (09:16)

Yeah, you sure are. And you're empowering other women to see their potential to be a part of that as well, which is just what I love. So let's switch across now to this world of entrepreneurship and small business and female founders in particular. I know you and I are both very passionate about supporting big creative, ambitious minds. And a lot of our listeners are tuning into this series in particular because we're doing a bit of a double tap on neurodiversity and leadership. And what I think is so fascinating is the large representation of neurodivergent people.

 

who find their way into small business and into entrepreneurship, into the creative fields like marketing and the fit around that and what are these that attracts us to entrepreneurship in the first place? I mean, I have some ideas. I think that first and foremost, you know, being neurodivergent, there are some struggles that we live with and...

 

creating a work life design where there's autonomy, where we can set up our own environment from a sensory perspective so that it matches our workflow and helps us to keep in the zone. It's really helpful. A lot of us have also got kids that we're wanting to make some special time for and some adjustments for additional medical appointments. But I'm curious with sort of those struggles aside and then leaning more into the strengths.

 

What do you see in your community of entrepreneurs and founders, as small business owners, that really excites you in terms of some of those unique strengths and qualities and how they're showing up to deliver?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (10:39)

Yeah, thank you so much. I think that was a beautiful summary. And I totally agree with you. Look, it'll come back to my kind of mission and my why it really is kids and family. And it always like, if you were like to come into this planet from some alien planet, and you'd be like, wait, the most important job for human beings is to raise other little human beings, but then they go off and they spend all their time in this room with essentially strangers. It just seems like a very curious construction. When

 

Mariane (10:49)

Mm.

 

you

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (11:08)

really our main job and our main purpose is to support the little people that we bring into the world. you know, like that doesn't mean, you know, that's a job for parents, but it's also a job for us as a community. When I lived in Sydney, I lived in this incredible block of flats and like everyone in the kid, everyone in the block had kids and they would all race up into each other's lounge rooms and bedrooms. And it was like this amazing thing. you know, like part of your job as a,

 

Mariane (11:15)

Hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Gorgeous.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (11:32)

as a human being is to pay attention to kids. What's this kid doing? What's that kid doing? Give him a high five or give them a little tickle or give them a, like really see them and look at them. And I think that when we look about other cultural issues that we have real problems with around toxic masculinity or other issues that are really problems in our society, we don't look at the root cause right in front of our face, which is nurturing the kids in front of us, being present for them, giving them our best.

 

Mariane (11:49)

Mmm.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (11:59)

rather than the scraps of us at the either end of the day. This is something that I'm really passionate about. And again, you I really believe that earning a sustainable income is part of that mix. You know, being proud to take your creativity out in the world and earning an income that will help you and your family. This is critical and it's been really hard to do in small business previously. And I feel like the tide is turning on that just like in the way that support for neurodiverse

 

Mariane (12:10)

Mm.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (12:26)

kind of people in the workplace is turning and I'm just excited to be part of that conversation.

 

Mariane (12:31)

That's awesome. I love that focus on family as well. think we're seeing, and COVID brought a lot of this actually as families were forced initially and then we're all like, I don't know, we'll go back to that pre -world that we lived in, you know, to come together. And there was a lot more intergenerational sharing of responsibilities and banding together. I really see that that is an absolute blessing of owning and running a small business. And I guess, you know, it'd be a missed opportunity if we didn't then

 

flip the script on that and say that particularly for some of us who have got particular cognitive traits like hyper -focus, they can then also be that risk for overcommitment and or a focus of direction that perhaps isn't going to then articulate into income. What do you see in terms of being some of those barriers that can make our communities more vulnerable to say overwhelm, stress, burnout? Because I know that you're doing a lot of work in that space and I'm curious to hear why that lights you up.

 

and why that's really important for you as well.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (13:28)

Yeah, I love your focus on this. And the thing that comes to mind is curating your digital diet. You know, we have a culture that is hyper focused on physical diets and nutrition and health. Well, what about the health and nutrition of your mind and the health and nutrition of your thoughts? And, you know, being aware of, you know, think you're able to focus on the things that light you up and you don't have to listen in this day and age to things that get you upset and

 

Mariane (13:35)

Mm.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (13:57)

I think it's, you know, this is a very delicate line to tread because we don't want to be in an echo chamber of just like all of our own kind of thoughts. We always want to be able to mix things up into, and to really kind of foster true resilience. But I also think that, you know, when it is getting too much, we should all be aware there, there is an off switch. There are things like mute, there are things like block. And are you taking advantage of these opportunities to curate what you see just in the same way you create what you eat? So I hope that is helpful.

 

Mariane (14:06)

Mm.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah, absolutely. And to me that extends way beyond running a small business. That's just a really good general tip for us all to be considering in this fast paced world. It's funny because a lot of people, when I'm talking about ADHD, the first thing they'll say is, yeah, but you know, that's just our modern society. Aren't we all just a little bit ADHD? There's a really great book actually, I'll throw it in the show notes called Stolen Focus and it addresses this fast pace. What I think is really interesting is that

 

that combination of epigenetics. So if you've got a genetic predisposition to a neurodevelopmental difference like ADHD, then yeah, what you do in your environment can absolutely ramp up or reduce those symptoms, as we would say in the medical world or features. So, you know, that hyperfocus or that, you know, perseverant thought around a rumintive, you know, I'm not good enough type of thinking that can come out of some of the digital world. And that's something that I think you're absolutely right is applicable

 

to all humans to be considerate of. That's a really, really great tip. And what I'm really loving about working with you and in the community as well, Jade, is you can tell I'm just fan clubbing here, right? Everyone's going to be saying, what's going on with this small business growth club? But what I think is just so exciting is your ability to take some of that hassle that I, at least as an owner myself have had, some of that perfectionistic struggle that I know a lot of us with ADHD have.

 

Some of that doubt that can kick in and overwhelm and, I've got to do all the things. Talk me through your values first, So you've started with family.

 

What were some of those strengths that you wanted us as your community, but entrepreneurs in general, small business owners to be able to double down on so that one, they can get rid of the overwhelm, but two, they can really deliver.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (16:12)

Yeah, good question. I think for me, it always comes back to seeing your customer. And it's, this is one of those things that everyone's heard a million times. We need to define our customer, our hero customer, but like defining, this is the challenge, right? Defining another human being is like trying to define the ocean. Like we are all so complex, so multifaceted, you know, it's like trying to define your partner or your child.

 

Mariane (16:19)

Hmm.

 

a service mindset.

 

Hmm.

 

Ooh, I like that.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (16:42)

It's like, you could never do that because A, you're so close to them and B, there's so many different parts of them that you, you know, it's, hard to see them. And it's really easy to write it off though, isn't it? he's nice. they're cute. Like we would give these one liners, but really being deeply curious and fascinated by your customer in the same way you are fascinated by earning money is one of the things that I see. people, I think that's what people get wrong is they get obsessed with what's in it for me.

 

Mariane (16:42)

Hmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Hmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Mm.

 

Mm. Yeah.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (17:09)

And by that, mean, they're just led by their natural human self -interest. Like, okay, we're all in it for ourselves. But if you really want to make traction in small business and in anywhere in life, it really is about thinking, well, what's in it for them? What are they getting out of like my post or my podcast or my freebie? And what I see is it's really hard for some people to do that. And that could come back to all kinds of different things. But what I try and do with my tools is I try and make it

 

Mariane (17:24)

Mm.

 

Hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (17:38)

easier for you to hero that person and to see them. And even just seeing someone being able to see them and articulate what's going on for them is a service. And you and I have we've been recipients of this often in our lives, you think about Oprah, you think about the way that she is able to be so personable and articulate and make you know, when you're listening to Oprah, it feels like she's like

 

Mariane (17:43)

Mm.

 

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (18:04)

reading your diary, she's like, my God, how did she know that about me? And really kind of using her as an example of it doesn't matter how famous you are, how successful you are, or how not famous you are and how zero income you're making. If you're able to see other people and articulate what's going on for them, things will happen for you. People will gravitate towards you. People will want to be close to you and they will want to work with you. They will.

 

Mariane (18:06)

talking to you directly. Yeah, that's so true.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (18:30)

you know, they will want it. And so that for me is really the hero piece of it all and never stopping getting curious. I think one thing that businesses do is they love to do this customer demographics, and then they love to put it on the shelf and then they like to get back to the exciting business of making money. And I'm like, no, like your customer, the more curious you are about them, the more you find out, okay, Marianne, how did your clients from your very first round, where are they now? And what are they doing in their businesses?

 

Mariane (18:46)

Hmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (18:57)

And, you know, even staying in touch with them and wanting them to be part of your ongoing journey, three, four, five years later, that only strengthens your business because I guarantee they're doing amazing things because of the impact you had on them. So it is one of our kind of our benefits of being in small business is the way we do business is like less transactional than big business and it's more relational. So I love that.

 

Mariane (19:19)

Mm

 

Yeah, I love that. And I'm so glad that you led with that because it is 100 % what attracted me to you and your work and just you as a human is your service mindset. And I think what's really interesting, we're in a bit of an economic downturn at the moment. Everybody I speak to is noticing that there's less penny spending going on. And so I think with that can come a little bit of fear and scarcity mindset and then...

 

the reaction to that is, okay, well, I've got to get louder, I've got to get noisier, I've got to bash, I've got to hustle and I've got to push. And what's really interesting is that the humans that I'm noticing are having that greater impact are leading with impact. And that that impact is then from that service mindset translating into continued business and continued growth. just in watching some of the, for want of a better word, emerging.

 

it's really beautiful to see those who are leaning into how can I be here in this season for service, recognizing that it is gonna be a hard one, but to sit with those two difficulties side by side and still show up. And that consistency is something that I really admire because creative consistency and then delivering on that, like you and I both know that's not easy. If it was, everybody would probably be doing it, right?

 

And so I'm really curious to ask you about your own creative process. Because I know that you've got such a focus on the humans that are in your community, but I want to know about you, Jade. Tell me about what happens for you in terms of idea formation. You were like ideas come into the shower kind of person, then how do you grab them? What do you do with them? Because you're constantly creating in the world, which is beautiful. And I'm so curious about that.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (21:06)

Thank you so much. I was thinking about this this morning and I, you know, I look at my, little son, he's six years old and you know what we, this one time we went to the market and this lady had this really kind of scrappy old set of like Duplo on the floor laid out at the market and we will, and she's like, it's 15 bucks and we were like,

 

Mariane (21:13)

Hmm.

 

Mm

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (21:26)

Come on, like give us it for 10." And she's like, it's 15 bucks people. like, you know, we, we, we got it for 15 bucks. you know, we were like, this is the most expensive Duplo we've ever bought, you know? And then we get it home and my son has not stopped playing with that Duplo for the last six years. He has created so many amazing creations out of it. Like it is like it's basic stuff, right? And like, like that Duplo was worth $10 ,000 to our family. And I think about, and I love that.

 

Mariane (21:48)

Mm.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (21:55)

that story looking at him because that's all I am. At the end of the day, I am a girl who loved her Duplo, who like had this basic Lego set and just was like obsessed with like shaking up the box and then seeing what came out and then seeing what I could create from it. And if you look at me and my businesses, that's all I'm ever doing. The Lego changes, like it might be Instagram, it might be chat GPT. I'm sure there'll be something else that comes out. But what I do at the end of the day is just a girl sitting with her Lego.

 

Mariane (22:10)

Mmm

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (22:22)

trying to configure things and reconfigure them and solve some problems with that. And, you know, that's what I see my little boy do too. And I love admiring, you know, I love seeing it from this perspective now, the way my parents would have looked at me and, know, see, like you said, that intergenerational thing of problem solving, of creativity. And for me, it really comes back to that Lego. So don't hesitate to invest in the Lego parents is my, is my message.

 

Mariane (22:35)

Hmm

 

I love that. And the other piece that I heard was shaking things up. I mean, you know, I'm just already hearing that experiment is mindset or taking that scientific approach to running an experiment, testing a hypothesis, getting curious, collecting the data for those of us who love our numbers and then being prepared to tweak and turn and throw it all back in the box, shake it back up and do it again. That really appeals.

 

to me and my shiny light brain, because I like newer novel seeking things. And I wonder if that's also part of the appeal for a lot of our entrepreneurs as well is that that opportunity to continue to play as adults, because that kind of gets taken away from us, I think, in other systems as we get older. And yeah, I agree with you. Creativity is just a beautiful way to come back to that. Yeah, gosh, you've given me lots to think about there. Let's get technical. I want to talk to you about AI.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (23:35)

so much.

 

Mariane (23:37)

But I want to do that in a creative way, because we are absolutely going to maximize the future forward thinking that I know is a superpower of yours. You've got an incredible ability to see into the future and somehow reverse engineer it for us all. First of all, can you tell us a little bit about how you are personally using chat GPT and AI in general to be able to support entrepreneurs and small business owners to get stuff done? Talk us a little bit about your tools. And then I want to talk about

 

know, Chachapiti and AI kind of more broadly speaking for those of us in HR who might be going, what's going on here with this new technology? But yeah, take us back to your tools.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (24:14)

Yeah, for sure. So I think one of the things is small business is overwhelming because it's overwhelming. Like I think a lot of people, like they want to talk around this issue, like, but the fact is overwhelm is a normal response to a very difficult situation. So I think you and I and every small business owner, we've been hungry for the tool that's going to break through for us in this area of action taking. And I really.

 

Mariane (24:21)

Mm.

 

Yeah.

 

Mm.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (24:42)

As soon as I kind of started using ChatGPT or any AI tool, know, whatever your, your flavor is, that's all of a sudden you can start to see, well, hold on a second. Maybe this can help me with all the tasks I have to do today. And when you throw it, you throw it that kind of that frisbee and it comes back at you. You're like, okay, I'm just going to throw it a bit harder and a bit harder and a bit harder. And so I really am delighted by this tool. I'm really inspired by how much easier it makes.

 

Mariane (24:57)

Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (25:12)

all the things on our task list and it cuts down the time, it cuts down the overwhelm. You know yourself that, you know, creating something like a lead magnet, it's just a massive job. It's a job that you almost need a team member to help you with. But what if you can't afford a team member? What if that team member's away that week? You know, having another tool that can help you at that level, it's just so game changing. And I'm shocked that more people are not onto this because this is going to change the world. And I know it.

 

Mariane (25:15)

Mm.

 

Mm

 

Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (25:41)

And we know it. So it's just a matter of time till it goes through and it changes everything. So I I'm excited and I'm also, you know, thoughtful about how it's going to change the game for anyone who works anywhere. So yeah.

 

Mariane (25:42)

Yep. Yep.

 

Yeah, I love the literacy that you're giving us as a community and a group. I'd already been playing around with ChatGPT, but kind of on a different level and using it to accommodate for some of the struggles that I have. So I use ChatGPT personally, started out with the old like, can you please correct this draft of an email that I don't really like? Or can you tidy up the blog, you know, from a grammatical perspective? And then I started playing around with the voice function and realizing that actually,

 

Because my brain works in a circular thinking mode, That's part of my working memory difference as a part of my ADHD. So when I can voice text something into ChatGPT and give it the heads up, hey, ChatGPT, I'm working on an idea right now and I can kind of see some patterns, but I haven't quite got the formation. Can you hear me out?

 

then that way I can see the gaps in my thinking, I can see the gaps in my thought processes, and where I need to be able to refine my messaging or my idea So that's the way I've been using it. Then I've come into Small Business Growth Club. And to give, can I give an exact example of like how you have...

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (26:54)

Please! Yeah, get specific!

 

Mariane (26:56)

my word. Cause I am like, I'm blown away by this. Right. So Jade has gone in and actually fine tune chat GPT and taught it effectively for one of the better words. She's customized the tool to create her own chat GPT bots that we can use as business owners. And one of them that I was playing around with this morning was her lead magnet creator tool. So to give an exact business idea.

 

I've been asked to pivot some of the trainings that we do for individuals on ADHD to be able to go out and support psychologists, which is really exciting. One of the first things you want to do is like, Hey, introduction to ADHD without the big investment is called a lead magnet, right? In the marketing world. So Jade's tool, I was able to take curated content that's mine and pop it into the lead magnet CHPT tool. And it spat out 20 different ideas of how I could create a couple of page documents to be almost like a.

 

Here you go, this is my gift to you. Now, if I worked on that personally, I swear, I was saying to Jade before, three, four days, like analysis paralysis kicks in, perfectionistic traits kick in, all the hyper different things. I'll go over here, I'll go over there. This tool allows me to get something to the market that I'm wanting to serve today. So I just think what you are doing with Chat T is phenomenal. And I agree. I want to come back to the idea that why are more people using this?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (28:16)

Yes.

 

Mariane (28:17)

You talk to me though, like, what are you seeing as the superpowers in AI that you want other people to know about?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (28:23)

think you've just described it perfectly. think, you know, it's really easy to get carried away with AI is the revolution. And then, you know, people go there and they're like underwhelmed with this annoying webpage. And I think, yeah, what you need to do is you always need to come back to your customer. You always need to come back to your problems. Your problems are you need to get the lead magnet out today. The faster you're able to get that lead magnet out, the more people you're able to help, the more people you're able to call into your programs. You know, time is our...

 

Mariane (28:33)

Mmm.

 

Mm -hmm.

 

Mm

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (28:50)

most precious resource and this tool is helping you save massive amounts of time and effort. And for me, it's a no brainer. So I'm just like, yep, let's go. Like I've been waiting for this. Let's plug it in because you know, the marketing fundamentals are there. You know, you need a lead magnet. You know, it needs to connect, but the specifics they can be taken care of potentially by, you know, another resource or by AI. So it's, it's adding to our toolkit. It's got, it's adding to our arsenal of things that we have to use.

 

Mariane (29:00)

Mm.

 

Yeah.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (29:18)

as small business owners to survive and thrive.

 

Mariane (29:21)

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, speaking to the future of that as well, because I think there's a lot of fear and you and I were talking about this off camera just before it's like, well, now that chat jpt has come in and it's automating all of these functionalities that we would have otherwise done as creatives ourselves, you know, where's the quality of content that's going to be getting out into the world? And I think that for me, it's holding those two things side by side. Like my perspective on this is I don't want chat jpt to write my stuff.

 

That's not cool. I want to maintain my own thought leadership. I don't want to be lost in the masses of everybody else's same old same old. That's just so vanilla. But where I see the absolute potential for Chat BT is around the refinement of ideas, is around pulling pieces and patterns together. You know, how can you work with this as a tool to be able to really elevate and get to the next idea and double click on that and make sure that it lands with your audience in a way that's accessible and that people can understand it and read it and get amongst it.

 

Cause that's where I think the content curation piece and our ability as humans to be able to

 

and learn those story prompts in a way that do something new or bring a new invitation to life. For me, that's where I get excited about the possibilities, but what about you?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (30:33)

Yeah, absolutely. think for me, was, know, everyone's, everyone wants to like the formula to make a million dollars. But the truth is, the formula is out there. Like, you know, any kind of bestseller book tells you the formula. It's not the formula that's the magic. It's the execution. It's the implementation. That's where people fall down. It's not buying the gym membership. It's going to the frickin gym. So for me, it's just helping you consistently, right? And otherwise, we'd all be massively ripped.

 

Mariane (30:43)

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Yep, consistently.

 

Mm -hmm. Yep.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (31:02)

And the same with, it's the same with making money. Like the world needs your gifts. The world needs your creativity. The world needs you to solve those problems, but unless you can get out there consistently and do it, no one is going to buy it. So I hope that chat GPT is that game changer. And, know, a huge focus of our small business growth club this year is definitely around action taking and around implementation. And I think your example that you gave us just now.

 

Mariane (31:26)

Hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (31:30)

is just an extraordinary example of action taking and implementation. And I can't wait for you to get that lead magnet into the hands of people who, you know, right? And they, forget, like people don't even know, like the things that you know about ADHD, the perspective that you bring to it, exactly as you said, your thought leadership, we need to get that in more people's hands, but they're never going to see it unless you get that lead magnet, one of 50 out there consistently. So it really is.

 

Mariane (31:38)

It'll be on your desk this afternoon. I'm very excited.

 

Yeah.

 

Mm -hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (32:00)

doing the work. That's for me the power of it.

 

Mariane (32:03)

Yeah, 100%. I want to relate this back as well. I know we're coming to an end, but to our HR leaders who are listening in going, well, this is all very well and good for small business owners and entrepreneurs, but how am going to use this in my life? I want to reference a McKinsey report, actually. I'm going to put my glasses on to be able to read it specifically. Because interestingly, in one of their latest reports, they were talking about how those with Gen AI skills and capabilities, so exactly what Jade and I talking about, are going to be the hot.

 

talent commodities in your company. So the most sought after people in terms of, where are we going with recruitment? Who do we want to engage and retain and why? McKinsey is calling, this is Global International as well, their research is going to be Gen AI users. Now, what was really interesting, and Jade, you'll love this, is that when it came to use case, those who are diving in and upskilling the fastest are those who are the content creators and those in marketing.

 

I wonder where we hang out. So if you're an organization listening in thinking, okay, well, how is chat GBT going to help or Gen AI in general going to help my organization then then have a listen to this. So they shed in their research and I'll drop it in the show notes so everybody can check it out as well.

 

More than half of these Gen .ai workers, those who self -identify as creators and heavy users, present a flight risk to employers. Leaders want to keep these folks not just employed, but also productive and engaged. In other words, they're most exciting assets. When it comes to keeping those with Gen .ai skills in your company, they shared the research was very clear on this front, compensation,

 

and I think they're referring to financial compensation is not the driving factor here. It's about having flexibility, meaningful work, reliable and supportive colleagues and teammates, and a clear sense that the employer is focused on health and wellbeing. Mic drop. I just think that that is so cool that they've put that out there because to give you some context.

 

We're seeing globally a little bit of a withdrawal at the moment from some of the nice to haves. And I think partly that's as we're moving through this economic difficult time. And so the question is, well, what's the ROI on all that fluffy stuff as we used to call it? Jade, I'm really curious to hear your perspective on this. As we get more advanced in our use of technology and we start to replace some of those kind of technical skills and do it faster with ChatGPT, where do you see the importance that

 

people have in terms of some of those human capabilities like dignity, mattering, belonging, inclusivity, meaningful work. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (34:48)

love it because all along we've had these workplaces that really don't fit the human life cycle. We have a workplace that only suits one type of person in one phase of their life, right? Someone who's unencumbered with responsibilities and who can travel and commute to a place and be separate.

 

Mariane (34:59)

Hmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (35:13)

And then they can clock off and then they go home and then they don't have like another shift to do at home with all the other extra responsibilities. This is not fit for purpose. This container, this vehicle, this, this, we consider as a workplace, it was never fit. It worked for one person at one time. And what we're seeing now is that people are being sensible and saying, well, we need more. We deserve more and people do deserve mental health.

 

Mariane (35:19)

Mm -hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Mm. Yeah.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (35:42)

They do deserve physical health. You know, this is not a nice to have and I love how you've spotlighted that I reject the idea that the fluffy stuff is fluffy at all. Human beings need this to thrive and stop pointing out just the status quo as the best we can do and you know, money being the most important thing. Of course, money is important, but it is only important in the mix of seeing other people, of serving them and of

 

Mariane (35:52)

Mm. Mm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (36:11)

course, yourself being able to survive and thrive. And so I love that the fact that, you know, AI is getting in here and, you know, shaking things up again, it's the latest thing, right? It was COVID four years ago. It's AI now, there will always be something shaking it up. And the response, you know, it can be globally, it can be kind of shutting things down or scarcity, or you can be embracing this and opening up the ideas of, hey, hold on, these people are demanding more, but they offer more as well. So let's see how we can incorporate that. Let's see how we can make it all work.

 

Mariane (36:25)

Mmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (36:40)

And I guarantee that the corporations who are flexible, who are adaptive, who are listening, who are seeing and serving, they are the ones who will survive and thrive. And I love being a very small part of this and helping other female entrepreneurs like yourself live our values, know, live our values. There is no way that I could go and work in an office with my three kids. Isn't that crazy that my entire economic contribution is nixed because I have three little ones that, that should be a

 

Mariane (36:44)

Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

 

Mm.

 

Mm

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (37:09)

a bonus, not a detriment to my career. And so I'm really excited that we are changing the world. And I'm so glad AI couldn't have been built. AI was built by a woman with seven children. that, you know, like it could have been because it's so perfect for us, you know, it's so perfect for women. It's so perfect for parents. It's so perfect for people with multiple responsibilities. And really, I think the status quo has got to sit up and pay attention because the world is shifting and

 

Mariane (37:12)

Yeah.

 

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

 

Mm -hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (37:36)

You know, you can be on board or you can be left behind.

 

Mariane (37:41)

Ooh, there's a call to action. Which side will you be on? I'm on board. I'm excited. I think we have to be sensible and conscious. you know, there's reasonable debates and conversations around ethics and are we deploying them appropriately? And at the same time, unless you get in and get to know this technology and be a part of it, then you're not at the seat of the table. It's a conversation. And we need as many good humans at that conversation. Thank you very much. So, yeah, Jade, look, I couldn't agree with you more.

 

gosh, I could talk to you for hours, but listen, we've got quick fire round, I should say before you go, if you've got time. I've been asking my guests the same question to gather some insights around a couple of topics in particular that we've been doing some research around. So I just want the first thoughts that come to your mind. There's no right or wrong answer here. But the first question I've got for you, what are some of the qualities that come to mind when you hear the words impact mindset?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (38:33)

Ooh, you know, people come to mind when you say these words and someone I think of here is Glennon Doyle and the way, you know, she articulates problems and the way she makes an impact in people's lives. So I'm going to leave it there and highly recommend people follow and listen up to Glennon Doyle.

 

Mariane (38:40)

Hmm.

 

What about inclusive impact? What comes to mind there?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (38:55)

I think about Cherie Clonan from the Digital Picnic. I know that she, you know, she would be someone on your radar. I think that she has been talking about inclusive inclusivity for so long. And isn't it wonderful to see the world come around and isn't it wonderful to see, you know, even in your own little social media world, your own little space, her make an impact and really draw an audience of thinkers and movers and shakers to her.

 

Mariane (39:02)

Yeah.

 

Hmm.

 

Mm

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (39:22)

that are finally understanding what she's been talking about all along. So that's exciting.

 

Mariane (39:27)

Yeah, I love that. That is so beautiful. And another really good example of how we can use vehicles like marketing, like Instagram, to be able to, as an individual, have a story and have an impact. That's a brilliant example. If you think about an inclusive world that has inclusive schools, inclusive communities, inclusive workplaces, and you could wave a magic wand, what's something that you would see that would be different? I hope for the future.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (39:50)

flexibility as standard. Like, is that not shocking that this is still some kind of debate? Human beings have these crazy lives that are, you know, that they go through these many phases and transformations, yet we constantly treat them as if they're one type of person at one time of point in their life. That's madness. Flexibility should be part of your life when you're a child and you're overwhelmed by the school week, and it should be part of your life when

 

Mariane (40:11)

Yeah.

 

Hmm.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (40:17)

You're older and I'm sure at the nursing home, I'm going to get overwhelmed and want a little quiet space. So like every point of our lives should be flexible to really see and acknowledge the human condition. And I really, you know, very quite strongly reject this rigid parameters that have been put around us and quoted as normal when I feel that that is not normal in any way. We have these lives that go through many different phases, many different seasons of life. And wouldn't it be lovely to welcome and see all of those different seasons.

 

Mariane (40:42)

Mm.

 

That's beautiful. I love that. Gosh. What about podcasts, books, resources, things that you're getting amongst for your learning as you grow as a creative, as a human, as a mum? What are your favorites? What would you recommend?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (41:04)

definitely. Well, I've got my girlfriend, my, my kind of, work wife, Emma Lovell. She is a, she, yeah, she's got her new book out. So I'd highly recommend that. So she is her latest incarnation. you, we all go through many incarnations and we should evolve as people and as business owners. Her incarnation is as a Bleisure coach. And I love this for so many different reasons because Bleisure is maybe not.

 

Mariane (41:11)

Of course, a new book.

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (41:31)

quite a well -known word in the English language, but she is bringing it back. And pleasure is about combining business and leisure into one life. like, bing, light bulbs not go off then, because this idea that you should take four weeks of your year and travel and then the rest of the year is like done. Or I'll call this out, so many people who don't take those four weeks of their year and end up working themselves into the ground.

 

Mariane (41:34)

No? Okay.

 

Yeah

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (42:00)

accruing this leave that is a false box. That is what someone else came up with for you. You do not have to live like that. And Emma's come up with this idea that you can work and travel as your life. And imagine the opportunities that you could have to see this world to see this one planet that you've been given that you know,

 

We're never going to see it unless you go and do it. so Emma's unlocked this incredible revolution. She's calling herself the Bleisure Coach and her new book is The Bleisure, The Art of Bleisure. So yeah, she's really exciting and I highly recommend you catch her in her podcast and her new book. And I'll be supporting her at her book launch in Sydney. And if you're there, Marianne will get to meet for the first time. So that would be really exciting.

 

Mariane (42:43)

Amazing. Yeah, I'm trying to get down there. I can't wait. I can't wait. That's such a good call. Bleisure. Yes, it's on my reading list. I can't wait to hear it. Some of the thought leadership she's got there too really sings to my idea of work life design and that, you know, how can we pull our purpose and our passions together? And I think that applies as well to people who are not in a position to run their own business and maybe they are working for somebody else. You know, these principles still apply. So lean in, please.

 

Whatever you do, awesome, awesome. The last question I've got for you is what does it mean to live a meaningful life?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (43:19)

what a beautiful question. I think for me, it comes back again to family and it comes very much to seeing the people and the battles they fought before us to get us here and to, you know, honor them by, you know, I love the way that you are fighting your own battles in terms of, you know, drawing attention to issues that other people would love, love to be, you know, swept under the carpet or not acknowledged. And you're like, hold on, no, this is a thing. This is important. This is different.

 

And I think that the, what you do is advocacy, it's activism, you know, it's, telling a new story. I think that's really important. I think that, for me, that's, that's what I try and do in my business is really to empower those people who feel like they don't fit in maybe elsewhere and to recognize that what they perceive is their weakness is a strength if they let it be. And that's what.

 

We do, that's what we do in my small business growth club. That's what I do with my team. I really aim to just see them where they are, meet them where they are and to build sustainable life from that. And that to me is my greatest purpose and my greatest joy. So thank you.

 

Mariane (44:34)

I get the sense that you do that beyond your business and with every person and community and event that you touch. So thank you for being you and just showing up the way that you do. just, yeah, I take a lot away from all of our conversations. I really appreciate you sharing your time today, Jade. And I know that listeners are gonna wanna get amongst the action. Where can everybody find you across all things, the internet of things? What's the best way to get in touch?

 

Jade | Small Business Growth Club (44:59)

Of course, at Small Business Growth Club on Instagram and smallbusinessgrowthclub .co online and Small Business Growth Club on Facebook.

 

Mariane (45:03)

Mm -hmm.

 

Beautiful. Thank you, Jade. I can't wait to bring this episode to our listeners and for listeners who have joined us today, thank you for listening to another episode of Classroom 5 .0 and of course, for your interest in inclusive impact. We'll see you next time.