577 - AI Literacy for Small Business with Susan Gonzales
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
Henry Lopez, Levante Business Group
4.7 • 522 Ratings
🗓️ 11 August 2025
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How small business owners can overcome fear, embrace Artificial Intelligence literacy, and start using generative AI tools to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/577-susan-gonzales-ai-literacy/
Artificial intelligence isn't coming - it's already here, and small business owners can't afford to be left behind. In this episode of The How of Business, Henry Lopez speaks with Susan Gonzales, founder and CEO of AI and You, a nonprofit dedicated to making AI literacy accessible for everyday people.
Susan explains why fear, skepticism, and lack of awareness are slowing AI adoption (especially among women and minority business owners) and how these barriers can be overcome. She breaks down the difference between predictive and generative AI, offers practical advice on where to start.
Susan's five-step framework for crafting effective AI prompts:
1) Help me with… (Be specific)
2) You are a… (Define the role)
3) The output should be… (State the desired format)
4) You should know… (Provide context)
5) Here are some… (Include references or examples)
From creating business plans and marketing strategies to streamlining repetitive tasks, Susan shares real-world examples of how AI can save time, reduce costs, and open new opportunities. She also warns about "hallucinations" in AI-generated output and emphasizes the importance of verifying results before relying on them.
The conversation covers emerging trends like AI agents (the next generation of chatbots with reasoning capabilities) and how existing business tools, like CRMs, accounting platforms, and Microsoft Copilot, are embedding AI features business owners should explore.
Susan's core message is clear: AI literacy is now an essential basic business skill. Owners who start learning and experimenting today will have a significant advantage over those who wait.
"The more specific the prompt, the more specific the answer," Susan advises, encouraging listeners to explore AI tools with curiosity rather than fear.
Listen to gain the confidence, knowledge, and practical steps you need to start leveraging AI in your small business today.
Susan Gonzales is the founder and CEO of AI and You, a nonprofit dedicated to making artificial intelligence literacy accessible to everyday people and small business owners. A former policy executive at Facebook, Susan has worked at the intersection of technology, policy, and community engagement, and now focuses on educating diverse communities about AI opportunities and challenges. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the how of business with your host, Henry Lopez, the podcast that helps you start, run, and grow your small business. And now here is your host. This is Henry Lopez. Welcome to this episode of the How What Business. My guest today is Susan Gonzalez. |
| 0:25.5 | Susan, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. Susan is an expert in artificial intelligence. |
| 0:30.6 | And as small business owners, we're all aware of it. But we have to adopt it. We have to learn. |
| 0:39.8 | We have to be curious, as Susan says. And we have to learn how we can adapt and work with and leverage AI because if we're not, |
| 0:46.0 | our competition is. And so it's essential that we at least try to stay ahead. Or I equated to, you know, those super bullet trains in Japan that are moving at 200 plus miles an hour and I'm |
| 0:51.1 | hanging on to the outside of it, barely keeping up. That's kind of the way I feel about it. |
| 0:55.0 | So I get it. |
| 0:56.2 | It's overwhelming, but we can't use that as a reason to just stay on the sidelines. |
| 1:01.7 | You can find all of the Howa Business resources, including the show notes page for this |
| 1:05.8 | episode and to learn more about my one-on-one and group coaching programs at the howab business.com. |
| 1:11.9 | I also invite you to please consider supporting this show on Patreon. |
| 1:15.2 | And don't forget to subscribe, wherever you might be listening so you don't miss any episodes. |
| 1:20.0 | Let me tell you briefly a little bit more about Susan. |
| 1:22.6 | Susan Gonzalez is the founder and CEO of AINU. |
| 1:27.7 | She launched AINU, which is a nonprofit to educate ordinary people and business owners like myself about artificial intelligence and prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of AI. |
| 1:39.6 | Previously, Susan was a policy executive with Facebook and other tech and telecom companies. |
| 1:45.3 | She's published various pieces and content on this topic. |
| 1:49.6 | And so once again, Susan Gonzalez, welcome to the show. |
| 1:52.7 | Thanks. |
| 1:53.2 | Thanks for having me again. |
| 1:54.6 | Absolutely. |
| 1:55.6 | And so the question I'd like to start with is what led you to this focus and concentration on artificial |
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