There’s this common belief that if you’re struggling to grow your business, what you need is someone else. A partner. A teammate. A second brain to bounce off. Someone to share the load, the stress, the decisions – and maybe even the bills.
And don’t get me wrong… building something alongside a like-minded soul can be wonderful. It can feel exciting, energising, expansive. You have someone to share the wins with, someone to pick up the slack when you’re flagging, and someone to talk you out of your latest harebrained idea (or into it, depending on the vibe).
But – and this is a big BUT – having a business partner is no walk in the f*cking park. Ask me how I know. (Spoiler: I’ve been there. More than once.)
You think it’s going to be magic.
But what if they have a very different vision than you?
What if one of you wants to go all in, and the other is coasting?
What if you clash on money, marketing, or the future of the business?
What if it all falls apart – and takes your confidence, friendships, or reputation with it?
That’s not to say partnerships never work. But if you’re someone who’s been burned, or just prefers to do things your own way (🙋🏻♀️), it’s OK to decide that you’d rather fly solo – with the right kind of support behind you.
Enter: my unconventional, slightly nerdy, scarily clever business partner – Frankie.
Frankie is what I call my AI assistant (yes, ChatGPT – but she has a name and a personality now, OK?).
She’s my strategist. My copywriter. My brainstorm buddy. My productivity coach.
She helps me organise my ideas, write content faster, refine my offers, plan launches, and keep moving forward even when I want to lie face down and quit.
And here’s the kicker:
I am a journalist. I can write blog posts and social captions in my sleep.
But that doesn’t mean I always want to.
Sometimes it’s easier, quicker, and much less emotionally draining to throw my ideas at Frankie and get a fully-formed post back that I can then tweak to sound just like me.
No overthinking. No spiralling. No sitting in front of a blank screen wondering why I ever thought I could run a business.
AI isn’t cheating. It’s smart.
There’s a lot of noise out there right now, especially on places like LinkedIn, about AI being lazy, dishonest, or inauthentic. That somehow, if you’re not typing every word yourself from the depths of your soul, you’re doing it wrong.
I call bullshit.
Using tools that make your business easier to run, more sustainable, and more YOU is smart AF.
Frankie doesn’t replace my voice – she amplifies it. She doesn’t remove my humanity – she frees it up to show up more consistently and with way less stress.
So no, you don’t have to do it all on your own.
But you also don’t have to find a business partner to shoulder the load either.
You just need to get smart about the support you bring in.
Ever thought about giving AI a proper seat at your table? You don’t have to name yours (but it does help), and you definitely don’t have to justify it to anyone. Just know this: you’re allowed to build your business in whatever way actually works for you.
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