075: From Burnout to Balance: Using AI to Grow Your Business with Brooke Berndt
In this episode, we’re joined by Brooke Berndt, business coach, serial entrepreneur, and mentor for women looking to build smarter, more sustainable businesses. Brooke shares her journey from owning a bar at 26 to navigating the challenges of the 2008 crash, pivoting into network marketing, and ultimately finding her calling in business coaching.
We dive into the power of mentorship and how surrounding yourself with the right people can completely transform your business. Brooke also shares how implementing systems and structure allows you to work smarter, not harder, something every small business owner needs.
A big part of this conversation focuses on using AI in your business. From automating emails and organizing your workflow to creating content and saving hours of time, Brooke breaks down how AI can act as a co-creator while still keeping your brand authentic and human. We also talk about practical ways permanent jewelry artists and service-based business owners can use AI for content planning, customer engagement, and even building out their own digital platforms.
This episode is a powerful reminder that while social media can change at any time, the things you truly own, like your website and email list, are where long-term growth happens. If you’re ready to simplify your systems, embrace AI, and get back to your zone of genius, this conversation is for you.
goldielinkssociety.com to be a part of the live call with Brooke
Instagram: brookeberndt.businesscoach
Stan store - stan.store/brookeberndtbusinesscoach
Podcast - http://bit.ly/41eDx8k
Transcript
Ep 75_Brook_GLP
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Jen Thyrion: [:So if you're building a business that shines as bright as your stacks, you're in the right place. Let's link up and make some magic.
Brooke Berndt: Hey there. Did you know that we offer handmade permanent
Jen Thyrion: jewelry supplies? Go to goldie link supplies.com to view our beautiful chains, connectors, Bengals, and more, including our non-permanent stretchy bracelets that are available to you for wholesale. Everything is created by our tribe of mama makers.
r items come with signage on [:If you wanna level up your business with handmade supplies, not made by a machine, but made by hand with love, then check it out@goldielinksupplies.com. Now onto the show. I have such a treat for you today. We're joined by Brooke Burn, and let me tell you, this woman is an absolute powerhouse. I originally met Brooke just by her stepping in my shop with a couple friends.
a breast cancer diagnosis in: credible world of ai. How to [:She'll also be teaching a special class on this. So if you wanna dive a little bit deeper into the AI and also be able to ask Brooke questions, she'll be inside the Goldie Link Society, our permanent jewelry membership on April 30th. So if you want to find one more, you can go to goldie link society.com.
You're not gonna wanna miss this episode. Let's get into it. Okay. Hi Brooke. I'm so excited you're here today. Do you wanna just start us off by telling us who you are and a little bit about yourself?
Brooke Berndt: First off, Jen, thank you for having me. I'm honored that you reach out. So my name is Brooke and I am a serial entrepreneur.
ery proud of that. 'cause he [:He's, you gotta go to school, which I did not excel in. I'll be honest. I have a DHD so that paradigm does not work for me to sit and be preached out. I, I'm very much, I've gotta visualize and I've gotta move and
Jen Thyrion: feel like the way people can probably relate to that. Oh yeah. 'cause it brings me back to, like I used to say, I used to skip.
High school. I barely graduated because I used to go to work. I was like, I'd rather work than be here. Yes. And waste my time.
Brooke Berndt: Amen. Amen. And that's where I was. And I couldn't focus and mm-hmm. My college was very eye-opening. It was great. I went to University of Arizona and I met, a lot of it was the relationships that were really cool for me.
So
Jen Thyrion: yeah,
ing it, and then I decided in:So I at 26 signed on the dotted line. And if, and your listeners are local here, which I'm sure some of them are. It was in Tamarack Square that, that's off of Hampton and Tamara. So it was in a strip mall and it started off great, like the avalanche were just crushing it. And I was like, wow, this is amazing.
for my life. Right? But then: Jen Thyrion: Oh yeah.:Brooke Berndt: Yep. Yes. And Jen, it was brutal. And so people are like, oh yeah, there people are gonna still drink and go out. But no, they got bottles of booze and drank at home here.
I had to shift and I went through a divorce during that time. So trip, like double whammy.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
FC fights on my credit card, [:Right?
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Just to make it go. And then we were forced out. A huge conglomerate came in and bought, forced all the small businesses out, which was very, it was rough. It was, they were pretty brutal people. Oh. And it, but it's all blessing. I have just such a heart for small business, brick and mortar especially, so I, I lost that.
I lost it due to redevelopment. And it was devastating at the time. I was 36. Yes. And I was pretty lost to be honest. I was like, what am I gonna do? My dad's come look at our other bar. And I was like, I'm so done with this industry and I won't go into the, it just wasn't my calling it, it wasn't very uplifting industry.
It's very,
Jen Thyrion: yeah, I could
Brooke Berndt: see that sexualized drinking. I was a shell of myself in it. And as the saying goes, one door closes, another opens.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Very on the down low. I was [:Jen Thyrion: Yep. A lot
Brooke Berndt: people are, I've seen so many friends, Jen, do it. And I was like, Ew, like don't even come at me with your stuff. You don want your stuff right
Jen Thyrion: there.
Brooke Berndt: I know. Want your stuff. I know what business is. I own a bus. You know what I'm saying?
Jen Thyrion: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Brooke Berndt: And my ego was just, I was so full of myself.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: So I was like, oh, I, to my friend, I'm like, like, I need to lose weight. I'm depressed. I lost my business, my identity. And I did this nutrition and I was trying to get pregnant and that's a whole nother, that could be a whole nother podcast on that, but
Jen Thyrion: yeah, I hear you.
Brooke Berndt: I just wanted to feel good again.
And so I did this nutritional system. My husband did it, and of course he like looked at the wall and lost 50 pounds.
Jen Thyrion: I know,
Brooke Berndt: right? Typical
Jen Thyrion: out soda. And I lost, I'm like, shut up.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah. Here. But we had this network and so people notice me losing weight, him especially. And I just started sharing my link.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
y first gen, I made my first [:Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: And getting paid last and then. I was like, wow, there's something to this.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Wow. What does this even mean? So I went to my first network marketing meeting and just to wrap it up, I fell in love. I had my arms crossed the whole time because I was like, oh, this is about boats and yachts. I'm so out.
ix figure business. And after:Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
was like, I need to go learn [:I learned so much there. Yeah. I really, it's such a great profession. I've done right. And I did. I learned a lot and then a lot of, a lot of evolved. We opened in some other bit. We have a metal business that we started through that 'cause people gave it, it was such a permission slip space.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
ness, acquired a franchise in:A card. My yard franchise.
Jen Thyrion: A what? Say it again.
Brooke Berndt: So card, my yard. So card My yard is the happy birthday. Signs. Oh, the signs
Jen Thyrion: for sure.
tting pregnant and, and so in:Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: And I wasn't feeling aligned with my network. I was, felt like I was kind outgrowing it. I was like, I wanna learn more. There's so much more to online and everybody was going to more of an affiliate model. And that was it. I was intrigued 'cause I was done leading and it was just leading a team in the spaces a lot.
Mm-hmm. And yeah, I invested in a mastermind. We've talked about this masterminds, 'cause I think you've led one or been in one. So we did a mastermind and they're like, Brooke. What are people asking you most about? Yeah, and I said, my business acumen, my online, and they're like, you should probably do some business coaching.
And I was like, wow, that sounds cool.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: So I literally was, I didn't have a website, I had nothing, Jen, I was like, okay. I'm gonna see, I'm gonna do a little proof of concept here. And I threw out a Facebook post that said, Hey, I'm leaning into business coaching with all this knowledge I'd love to serve and when anyone wanna work with me, here's my PayPal link.
Here's how much, and here's my PayPal link.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
people wanting to work with [:It's been a wild ride now in any business, in any space. Ebbs and flows. Mm-hmm. And what's had its ebbs and flows, but
Jen Thyrion: Definitely.
Brooke Berndt: And what we wanted to talk about today is ai. Yeah. Um,
Jen Thyrion: so what led into that? And what I have to say right now, we're just listening to you, it's like. How amazing we talk about, we both weren't school people.
Okay. So I do not have a business degree. I, I say it all the time. I was a massage therapist prior to getting entrepreneurship 12 years ago. But your experience is like amazing. Just the amount of different businesses you've done and manage And also growing up in an entrepreneur, you already had this base of knowledge from seeing your parents do it.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah.
Jen Thyrion: But how crazy to go from, it's hilarious to go from a bar. To being in a health and wellness company,
. And it was such a blessing [:So many great things happened. Oh
Jen Thyrion: no, I met my husband in a bar, so
Brooke Berndt: bars are great. I wouldn't wanna own one right now and just tell you that, but because of that. Experience Experie watching my parents go through it and work seven days a week and so hard. Mm-hmm. And I just wanna add this point, and learning about passive income, what I now do is I help small business owners take their business expertise and wrap it up in a digital form.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: And get paid passively because we cannot still to this day as human beings work. All day, all night to catch up. Mm-hmm. And I'm sure you can attest to this in the times we're living in
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: With inflation, with, if we have to take a day off as an entrepreneur and we're owning, I remember my bar, if I had a bad day numbers wise, I would have to make up for that tenfold, like down the road.
llent day to make it for the [:Jen Thyrion: mm-hmm.
ip consulting space? Yeah. By:Of course, you wanna keep learning and evolving.
Jen Thyrion: Sure.
Brooke Berndt: But your life expertise, your business life.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: Leadership choices, the financial decisions, all of that mentorship can now be put into a package. And so mentorship can save a business. It can help a business increase by 80%.
Jen Thyrion: Yes. That's amazing
Brooke Berndt: and it's so needed.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Our small business is just the, it's the lifeline of our society as much as people like corporate. We need small business and we need other small business owners to start stop gatekeeping.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
ike, this is what helped me. [:Okay. Oh, you had a, an employee kind of, of course you're not a lawyer. But at the same time is this is how you would navigate this. These are my systems and my processes. That might save you a lot of time.
Jen Thyrion: Yes, I hear you. I, I talk about that all the time, which is why I create the membership that I have and everything, because when I went and I dove into entrepreneurship, like not knowing a single thing, like I said, I was a massage therapist working nine to five, and I was always a creative on the side.
But when I jumped into it, literally, like I didn't know how to purchase wholesale. I didn't even know profit meant profit loss. I had no clue. So I had to learn everything the hard way, which is I equate to like how I got in a business. Although you were already an entrepreneur, but like with the MLM, like you're talking about, I think you learned, you learned a lot through that.
Like for me, I went to a merchant market, so I had a boutique inside this business with other boutiques. That's how I learned from other people around me. And like, so that's like when you said you outgrew it or you're, and then I felt the same. I was like, okay, when everyone has a different path, some people might continue.
I was like, okay, I learned [:You never heard about that. So even like business podcasts, I would gobble up, like I talk about when I was a massage therapist, I literally, this is before AirPods existed. And I would have headphones that I would have to my phone that I literally put in my bra. I'm not kidding, cupped it in my bra. And I would put a one headphone in my ear and I'd listen to podcasts while I did massage therapy because like I knew I wanted to expand and do something on my own.
I just didn't know what it was at the time.
Brooke Berndt: Mm-hmm. But
Jen Thyrion: there wasn't a lot of like niche down help too. At that time, yes, there was business podcasts, but not something like product based where just what I went into was boutiques. So there was no boutique podcasts. There was no, so I really. Again, had to learn the hard way, which is why now.
have had to almost close my [:Brooke Berndt: yes,
Jen Thyrion: like you say, almost file bankruptcy. I had to consolidate my credit and I had to, had to come to Jesus moments right throughout my journey where it's, man, I wish I would've had someone to talk to at that time.
I had nobody, I'm like talking, I dunno if you've been there. I'm like talking to my friends that have no idea about business owners.
Brooke Berndt: Yes,
Jen Thyrion: I've, they're trying to gimme their advice.
Brooke Berndt: Oh, I've been there.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Well, it's wild.
Jen Thyrion: Yes. So anyway, I just had to say that because what you're talking about. Yes I am. I'm all like, yes, like shaking my head vigorously.
Yeah, I totally agree with you. Because even now, of course, although I mentor people, I have my own mentor too. Like we all coaches have coaches, and this is not, and this is why I think people are at a place where we naturally do, we compare, we're like, oh wow. Which, where she is. But I'm like, I always remind people like.
n what I'm doing. There's no [:So. It
Brooke Berndt: never stops. And that's what's so cool about the era and the time that we're living in.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah,
Brooke Berndt: I know people get a little willy-nilly about it, but I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm 51. Right? So I'm like, I am so cur like curiosity is really what kept my business coaching business going. 'cause I was like, I wanna learn more about reels.
Okay. Reels job. Exactly. Let's learn and then let's iterate and let's teach. Yeah. So it's just like, I just was like, I can't. Stop learning. I, this is cool. What's at our fingertips? Because we don't have to go back to college, right? Yeah. We don't have to sit in a classroom. We can do a masterclass, get up and go do something else.
here's no qualification. I'm [:Mm-hmm. When these kids are signing on the dotted line and they're taking out these student loans that are hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: We are now in a time where entrepreneurship, anybody, I wouldn't say if you really like, are specialized in a field, go to college, but man, if you have an idea, there's kids that are like 12 and 13, like.
Making hundreds of million dollars on YouTube. It's just, it's a, it's a credible time that we're living. I will say.
Jen Thyrion: No, it really is when I look back to like when, I think it was just expectations at that time, and even now, you could say, I guess depending on where you're, you know where you're coming from, but it's, it was just expected that you go to college and the fact that, and there's so many friends I have that most of 'em, what they went to college for, they're no longer doing, they're like.
se you thought you knew what [:Brooke Berndt: know wasn't until I was 36.
Jen Thyrion: Exactly. Exactly. So it's, and again. Not to say. That's always just to say that statement O. Obviously some people are still doing what they thought they would do if they knew they always wanna be a doctor. That's something we know. We need to go to college to be a doctor. Okay. Yeah. Remember saying. Yeah.
It's just not, there's so much opportunity now and there's so many things that you can do and it doesn't equate to having to go to college.
Brooke Berndt: Yes.
Jen Thyrion: Um,
Brooke Berndt: yeah. You can take a course. There are so many. Different avenues on how to gain the information and implement and learn a skillset. And the skillset is, so I tell all my small business owners who are so afraid to step into the space of e-learning and teaching.
ace and teach and invent and [:Right? So it's just wild what's at our, our fingertips.
Jen Thyrion: So I guess this leads into ai, okay? Which is what we're talking about today, but. What led you then is obviously the digital education space that you've found, and then when AI was like birthed
Brooke Berndt: Yes.
Jen Thyrion: Is this kind of obviously what led you into be so passionate about AI and knowing what we can do with it and how much, like what led to that?
Brooke Berndt: Yeah. When AI was dropped, so when chat I started using chat about. Three years? Has it been three years? I don't, I can't even remember, but two and a half years, I wanna say maybe.
Jen Thyrion: Okay.
Brooke Berndt: Whenever it was, it came out and I was like, this is great for emails, because I was writing all my emails and I was like, yeah, this is kind of save, this is saving me some time.
So, sure. I was using it primarily as a chat bot. And some help with some content notes with my clients, and I was just utilizing it on a surface level.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: But since [:And I was like, okay, am I using this in a responsible way? And so I was research, lots of research and then a new platform. So using chat up until about three months ago. But then a new platform came out and I was like, wow, this is pretty cool. Because now what they're doing is you can basically hire an AI agent and you're not even hiring.
It's almost just like a term, but you have AI agent, like employees working for you and how that works. And what excites me about that is what I love doing, again for my small business owners because. Time is fleeting. We don't know what we were not promised tomorrow. I was reminded that again last year going through breast cancer.
ill work myself to the bone. [:It's giving my small business owners autonomy. Like you can walk away from your computer and it can be working and creating and sending emails and. It's just like you can compartmentalize your marketing team to your social media team. It can edit like videos in real time for, you can give it a prompt, like you can literally tell it what to do versus getting into the app and trying to learn it and what, it's such a time suck.
a new, do you know what I'm [:We're
Jen Thyrion: speaking the same language. My husband lately, especially has been, I don't know, I feel like I've self-diagnosed A DHD, and I know that's like a trendy thing right now to say I feel like, but at the same time, like, it's so funny because my husband has kind pointed out these things in myself for a while, and then I started following a couple a DH, adhd like.
Accounts and I'm like, oh my God, yes, I do that. Oh wow. I do that. So I do see myself in it. And it's funny, I do the same thing with Pinterest. A Pinterest, I'll go on there to get a recipe. I'll be like, and then before you know it, my husband like will be like 20 minutes later. He is like, what are you looking at?
I'm like, oh my God. I'm looking at tennis shoes. I'm like, why did I get here in the first place?
Brooke Berndt: This is my point. This is my point. Okay. Yeah. So AI can now, like I basically, so I use it for personal and I use it for business and one of the personal things I used it for that saved me so much time as a mom.
t things. Yes. And it put it [:And it did it all. So as someone who, you know, I, I did a lot in my business manually and now I'm like, oh, haton the net more.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: You know what I'm saying? I want my 10 hours back for my family. I don't wanna be, yeah. But here's the opposite side to this. Mm-hmm. Is that as you start creating an ai, you get more excited about things and you're like, I can create this and I can do this, and I can do that.
So we gotta put guardrails on it. But the Claude has now implemented Connector. So back to my point with Canva is that I needed, for my beauty brand, I needed a. Ad, not an ad, but like a graphic, an IG graphic. Yeah.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: And I, what would've taken me or sent it to my va, and by the time I like told him what I needed.
nd I was like this. And then [:Jen Thyrion: I do, but if you wanna tell people what it is,
Brooke Berndt: JotForm is a platform that allows you to create forms.
So like for quiz, so I do a lot of quizzes with my small business owners. Top funnel is it free? It's free. Okay. It's free. And you can connect that to Claude and I basically said, I need a application. And it didn't like, and I said, this is what I need, and it did it beautiful and I did it. It would've taken me an hour.
Jen Thyrion: Okay. Real talk for a second. Running a business can feel overwhelming. The content marketing, social media decisions, it's a lot. That's exactly why created GoldLink Society. It's a space where permanent jewelers can get real support, education and tools. Like quarterly photos and video done for you, templates, trainings, weekly calls, support group, and access to expert trainings who understand this industry.
you can join us anytime. Go [:Is that what it's called? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So do you wanna talk about that for a second? Is that
Brooke Berndt: Sure. Just, just quickly, it was an offset to ai. It did help me with that brand.
Jen Thyrion: You started that brand? Yes, I did. Okay. Uh, so when you're talking about these things that you created like this, for example, the Gloss Girl one that I'm looking at.
Yes. Is that something that,
Brooke Berndt: yes.
n here, and we're in April of:It caught my eye for sure. Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah.
Jen Thyrion: So that's something that was created. Um,
as I'm like training on this [:Like guide is I, we set up a system so you don't have to keep giving it all the same. No, I want it like this. It will like your brand colors. So literally Jen, I had a disposed by mine. 'cause this is all about saving time. Right?
Jen Thyrion: I know. And there's so much I don't know because I'm sure people use it the way I use it.
Currently I only use it really truly. I put in a bunch of information and I say refine this for a caption. That's how I use it. I don't use it really for anything else because, okay. I've had this thought, and maybe, I know this might be going on a tangent, but when it comes to that, I, I don't wanna say love hate because obviously chat is amazing and AI is amazing.
What I worry about is letting people take over your brain.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah.
more information. I want it [:I think that's the thing now that like that people are gonna be like, oh, is this ai? Is this ai? Or is this a real image? Is this a real words or is this your words? And I have to say. There, and I think you commented on it, there was a post I recently put of the total before and after of my shop, okay?
Brooke Berndt: Mm-hmm.
Jen Thyrion: I put all this information into chat and I said, refine my feelings about it, right? Because I said, just like my feelings of when I, I'm going back to the beginning of like how I felt before I even knew what it would be like to open the doors. Is this gonna be a flop or is this gonna actually work?
Yeah. And so it pumped it out. And then I go, I usually copy paste. I put it in my notes, and then I edit things. I edit things that kind of feel like a little bit more like me, right? Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: Mm-hmm.
Jen Thyrion: And sure enough, 'cause there's, well, there's people out there. They're just, you know how they are. So I put it out there.
I put it out, it was on a date night actually, with my husband. I just put it out there that night. I finally refined it enough. I'm like, okay, I'm putting it out there. And the next morning I saw the two comments by, of course, there's the who, I think they're like fake accounts. They weren't people. Mm-hmm.
And it was like, oh. This [:Beautiful video, but too bad the caption or something about that being in the, again, insinuating it was from Chad. Mm-hmm. I deleted them first of all, because I'm like, you don't even know me, and you obviously don't understand. But I took it personally because I'm like, I understand though, because I think that as we look at social and we see so many of these fake things now.
Mm-hmm. That's what scares me. But I knew that, I'm like, I put all this info and all these feelings and thoughts and then I had chat, take that and put it into the structure. It did. Mm-hmm. So. I don't know. Anyway, that's my thoughts on that.
Brooke Berndt: So there's, there's two waves of thought here, right? A lot of people are calling it AI slop.
chat when I was, my prompts [:Yeah,
Brooke Berndt: that it literally did sound like me. Some of 'em might sound a little more, 'cause my husband's, oh, did you send to my son's principal?
Was that chat? And I was like, yeah. 'cause I don't have time. I don't have time. If they wanna, if they wanna read through it, I don't care. So it's okay. What is most important to the value of the brand and refining it. And so, and that's where I come in to help too, because I'm like, okay, we need better prompts.
We need to tell and educate. Yes. The platform to, to use our voice better. And so there's so many prompts, there's different ways to do it.
Jen Thyrion: Okay.
Brooke Berndt: It is what's, it gets to know you so much more now. Now mind you Yes, I do. There's just a fine line. It's just a fine line. I know. I see it as a co-creator. Okay. And some people are gonna use it for good.
Some people are gonna get lazy with it. There's so much, there's so much, there's
like just girls, like women, [:If something's real or what? Like it's all, is this all or is this all ai?
Brooke Berndt: I think the brands, I think. Okay. So talking heads like face to video is really gonna do well. So I just coach my clients on, let's not go down that twin ai, let's just not go down that road. Like people don't, they're gonna read right into that.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: If they feel you. Mm-hmm. They people feel they're energetics. Yep. If you can keep showing up as a real human. And make mistakes and come on your stories, and I think those people will win. Okay. Okay. Where I see it all just being such a win-win for my small business owners is the automation, is the autonomy, is it doing, going through your emails, so basically my emails was the, my email.
Google Drive. It's gone into [:Jen Thyrion: What? I dunno. I'm like, I
Brooke Berndt: knew I'd be blown away. That's the stuff I'm talking about.
Getting your time back, getting you organized Yes. Systems so you can operate. Your zone of genius, right? Mm-hmm. So if your zone of genius isn't writing captions and the social media's, it's of importance, but not hundo like you, you're very creative. Yeah. You should demonstrate your creative energy with your store and your decision making.
And AI is just my personal feeling. It's coming along to just help us in ways to get our time back. I don't know. Yes.
Jen Thyrion: No, I hear you. I hear you. When you talked about two packaging your knowledge and creating that, in my mind, I'm thinking permanent jewelers are listening to this, that they're like, I don't wanna do that.
l the hats as we talk about, [:Uhhuh? Like you getting into your emails, like dms, like creating whether or not, whether you wanna try an ad, getting a graphic together, like you're saying, you can spend an hour on Canva easily if you're not used to it too, and you're not schooled in it. It takes a while to get used to, and you have a learning curve there.
So you like skip that. It's almost like your va, right? A sense you can scale in that way with ai. It doesn't have to be packaging. I feel your knowledge if you're not ready for that or don't wanna do that, but it can still scale your business in a different way.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah.
Jen Thyrion: Like you said, automate, systemize, which is how, is another way to scale and be in two places at once essentially.
Brooke Berndt: Yes. And I'm gonna blow your mind now.
Jen Thyrion: Okay.
y people in my sphere invest [:Have not even come to market because there's so many things going on with them.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: Ai allowing average people like you and me to create their own app. Okay. Which is mine. Like now that playing field is crazy even. Okay. Yeah. And it all it takes is a little of a learning curve and opening your mind. And here's where I tell all my people moving forward with ai, if you keep the customer the main goal and serving them the best,
Jen Thyrion: yep.
Brooke Berndt: Will never go wrong.
Jen Thyrion: Yes, for sure. Amen.
t foundation color is for me.[:So I was like, oh, send me a picture of yourself. Okay, here's a manual response. Send me a picture of yourself. I'll put it in chat and we'll see. And then I would send all the links back to them.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: Time. Right? I don't have time for this.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: But I wanna serve them. Mm-hmm. But this one particular platform, it's called Lovable.
Okay. Is you would love this. It's such a beautiful co-creation app with ai.
Jen Thyrion: Okay.
Brooke Berndt: It allows you to create. Apps. Okay. And community. So I'm very multi-pass. I'm a multifaceted entrepreneur. Yes. I have podcasts. I have all the things. Yeah. So I went in here and I was, okay, I'm multi-passionate, I'm multifaceted.
to get my feedback and I was [:No, I want that. So here's this interfacing human with platform and basically it created where they could send their own picture in. It will send them the five to six items from my website that would work best for them.
Jen Thyrion: Oh, amazing.
Brooke Berndt: Not me. I don't got, I got no time, Jen. Yeah. Yeah. I got no time. I wanna be my son.
I wanna travel. I'm still on the, I'm the survivorship of breast cancer. My parents are aging. They need me. Yeah. Our people need us. And when this happens, for sure, this is why I wanna set this up for all of my people.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: Is that your systems will still work for you, even if you have to take time off for your family, your sickness.
We're all gonna experience some type of sickness or trauma event in our life. Sorry, not sorry. It's gonna happen.
ppened last year, correct? In:We tend to, like, we forget that daily we get caught up with the small stuff we get. We just, we forget when we don't think about that daily until you are faced. I, I am speaking for you. I guess I have. I just think that lately there's been a lot of people very close to me that have had some really unfortunate diagnosis.
So for me, I feel, and as, and also too, you're a mother, you said your, is your son five you said? Yep. Mm-hmm. So I have a five and a 7-year-old, and I don't know if you see it too, where people say, go so fast, and like they're, and really, especially my. Both of them, but especially my 7-year-old, I'm like, God, she's gonna be eight soon.
That's crazy. I'm blowing my mind like I can see she's beyond this baby stage. There's this new phase and I'm like, I have to grab this. I can't. Yeah. I love what I do, just like you do, but I can't. I don't wanna be a seven days a week. Yeah. I'm all about my business and not really living my life and the people around me and the things that are really and truly important, so.
re are more passionate maybe [:Brooke Berndt: Yeah. Okay. So it's the whole life thing. Yeah. That I wanted maybe wrap it up with, so
Jen Thyrion: yeah,
Brooke Berndt: losing my bar business and losing that income basically overnight.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
, okay, so in that timeframe,:Jen Thyrion: Yeah. Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: We are living in a time where affiliate marketing is fire.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: And it can make you money in your, and so.
st expensive. It's expensive.[:Having a 5-year-old at 51 is expensive. Yeah. Yes. So yes, it put us back.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: And it put things, a lot of things in perspective, whereas moving forward, I am going to have so much passive, my systems are gonna be so locked in.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
Brooke Berndt: When my parents need me, my parents are elderly, my in-laws are elderly. My husband, what if he gets sick?
Yeah. Like we need operate, like we need this operation. And like what you said before, we are one women show. Yeah. But with ai. We can have AI agents mm-hmm. Working for us and I don't want people to get afraid of that terminology, but it can be AI employees taking calls. No way. Yep. The people who are afraid of AI taking the job, taking the business.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah.
if you take these platforms [:That's. The mindset I want you to have versus 'cause the people who don't, not to say welcome it in, but learn it and understand it. I do feel left behind is not necessary. You're going to be impacted by it on some level.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah, yeah,
Jen Thyrion: yeah. It's almost like if you can deny it and try to like poo it or whatever all you want, but in the end it's not gonna stop it.
It's not going to. So you rather embrace it, just like you said, and get to know it and how it can work for you. And if you're so scared, it's gonna take over your business. It's like any competition, to be honest. You know what I mean? Yes. Like we're so as permanent jewelers, like obviously it's a newer industry and like competition gets brought up a lot is if you're so scared of competition, you have to look inward.
can I make myself different? [:Brooke Berndt: Yeah. And you're gonna be doing thing manually. Yeah. People will leave you because they'll look at the other person who's getting them back. This custom itinerary, right? Mm-hmm. So if you're like, okay, if you create your own app as a travel agent, and it's just this like amazing exp customer experience.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: Right? That versus gone are the days of these elaborate websites, they're gonna, they're gonna be antiquated. Just a lot of things are gonna be an like the iPhone when it came in, right? Yeah. The flip phone, antiquated, it's the same. Thought process. Yeah. And so the more that we just invited in and ask better questions and say, okay, how can this be more advantageous for my business?
Instead of, ugh, frowning, [:Jen Thyrion: No way.
Brooke Berndt: Yeah. And it's, the gap's gonna get, keep getting right. So it's like you can take, you are, you can take that piece, you just have to understand it. You have to take some time to learn.
Hire someone who like. Okay, I'll help you. You have to get into that. Don't get afraid. The risk of the user journey is just, but nothing.
Jen Thyrion: Yes.
Brooke Berndt: It's not like college where you go put a hundred grand in and then decide to go a different route with AI or like taking 15 minutes a day, getting into it, having it know who you are, just learning what platforms are out there for the outcome that you're looking for.
Are you looking to, gosh, with your, with you guys? Yeah, I think community. Community is everything moving forward.
be inside of the Goldie Link [:So I'm really excited about that. So I wanna say that really quick, but two quick questions to just that I think about, 'cause I always try to put myself in the listener's shoes, right?
Brooke Berndt: Yeah.
Jen Thyrion: A lot of people listening are either just getting into permanent jewelry, there are I permanent jewelry as more as we go.
People are getting studios and brick and mortars is becoming more common. But say someone's listening who's like simply doing mobile permanent jewelry, they're like, they have a permanent jewelry business, they just pop up in people's boutiques or go do markets. How would AI specifically help? Them grow their business.
Brooke Berndt: So I would say with the marketing piece. Okay. Okay. So content, calendars, et cetera. I would say if you wanted to create your own app. Okay. So let's say I'm gonna use you. Okay?
Jen Thyrion: Okay. Yeah.
, are they called a specific [:Are they called like,
Jen Thyrion: well,
Brooke Berndt: you call
Jen Thyrion: Goldie girls.
Brooke Berndt: Goldie Girls. Okay, love that. Okay, so let's, okay. Goldie Girls, right? So then you have within your app, the Goldie Girls, right? So that's community. And they're living in, and they're talking in there. And whether they're, if they're on the side of, they bought the bracelet, what else are you dropping in?
Yeah, that doesn't have to be in person. Can it be. Like you have clothing lines, right? Mm-hmm. So you can drop in the clothing and make money off the clothing and they can buy in there, right? You can tell it, be like, Hey, I want you to create a guide on how to best wear all these pieces together and what their next piece should be.
And just, you gotta keep people engaged in your world. Yeah. 'cause marketing is gonna become, it's gonna become so inundated because AI is here, it's gonna be doing a lot of it. But if you have people in your world. Mm-hmm. That's what I say, just keep people in. Just keep them in newsletter, dripping on them with any other items you have.
And if you have a [:Jen Thyrion: Sure.
Brooke Berndt: What supplements you're using. Maybe if you, with kids, like maybe you're a good mom, like you're a good organizer if you're teaching like you're teaching.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: It's gotta be a, it's gonna be a hub. So yeah. I really feel like. To grow. It would be like having the app.
Jen Thyrion: I know. Now you say that, like why do you think an app would serve a little better than like just straight up Instagram? Because I could think, I don't know. I'm just,
Brooke Berndt: because if in Instagram takes a, excuse my language, can I cuss on here?
Jen Thyrion: Yeah, of course.
Brooke Berndt: Shit, if Instagram takes a shit.
Jen Thyrion: True. Don't
Brooke Berndt: people have lost their accounts?
They have been hacked. You don't own your Instagram. True. You own when you get an email, okay? Mm-hmm. You own it. When you own your own app, nobody can take that from you.
Jen Thyrion: That's so true. Now that you say intellectual. Yes. We talk about email marketing too, and that's always seems like an afterthought.
s if Instagram were to po go [:Brooke Berndt: all
Jen Thyrion: time, where are your customers? So I guess in my mind, I was thinking when you say community, because yes, that is a key.
Relationships is a key. To literally every business, I feel. But honestly, that's what I talk about it again and again. When I got into permanent jewelry, I realized how important that was. More than ever in any other business I've done was community. So it's like, you know how you can create a group on Instagram?
Yeah. You know what I mean? So I was like, oh, what's the difference if you just create this group and you share pictures and you have your community within there? What's different than that in an app? But you're right. I mean,
Brooke Berndt: yeah. When people aren't, they'll remove themselves from social, take a social media break.
True. You don't have access to them. As I would get to know you. And what other services you have. We would wrap that up into a beautiful bow within the app. And we'd have eyes, right? It's eyes, I say email marketing has a 80% conversion rate versus Instagram, because Instagram, you're making it reel and it goes away and it's gone within 24 hours.
't preach and teach on going [:Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: And here's where it can be another asset. And I tell people to think long term like your the marathon versus the sprint.
Jen Thyrion: Sure.
Brooke Berndt: You can sell that app. It can be an asset.
Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: Let's say you have 50,000 people in that app, someone's gonna wanna buy it.
Jen Thyrion: Yep.
Brooke Berndt: For lots and lots of money.
Jen Thyrion: Yep. Okay.
Brooke Berndt: You know what I'm saying?
Jen Thyrion: And at this point, so when you said that back in the day where it took 10 to 50 grand to make an app, what are we talking about now? What are we, what is it to make an app.
Brooke Berndt: Girl, $5 a month.
Jen Thyrion: How many?
Brooke Berndt: $5 a month.
Jen Thyrion: Really?
Brooke Berndt: I, it's crazy because lovable, you have to buy tokens. So you'll see us like you explore AI and stuff.
is could change. So this is, [:Make this like this and it'll say, okay, I can do that. Did I think that it would say, oh, I'll take the picture for you and I'll send five links to this person. So again, it's what can our minds like tap into that could be of creative flow, right? Mm-hmm. Like in your, like, we wanna add more to the cart. What else do you got going on in there?
You got, you have like crystals and rocks and things and art. You could have people come in as affiliates into your app, okay? Mm-hmm. And you charge them for an affiliate fee and they get to get sell to your people, but you're making money off their sales.
ion: Okay. Very interesting. [:Yeah. I'm like, I'm just going to a place in my mind right now. Okay.
Brooke Berndt: And it's endless. It can be endless.
Jen Thyrion: I know. Okay. We talked about you being in the membership, but let's talk. About how, what do you offer right now? If someone's listening and they're like, I want more, what do, where do they go?
Brooke Berndt: Yeah. Awesome.
You can find me at Brooke Burns business coach on Instagram. Mm-hmm. I do have what is called a stand store. I tell all of my people. If you're listening, you wanna have a place where all your links live. Link tree is not the best. You want a high converting platform, which I have Stan, and that's where my AI execution session lives and my cash to clarity call.
Okay. And so we will like navigate through. Okay. Like. Income expansion, where can we bring more things and where are you missing out on money? And then I do one-on-one coaching. So I do VIP stuff and I have a podcast and I have a beauty brand called Virtue, virtue Beauty Co.
ething you just help someone [:Brooke Berndt: No, I'm, I wanted to create a course, but here's why I'm waiting is because the information's coming too fat.
I would have to update it. I would have to update it. Yeah. So what I'm doing is I'm learning every day. Yep. And so I'm like, I wanna just structurally get you set up and knowing, okay, this, you can get this result right now. Because I feel like even in six months, an AI course is gonna be antiquated.
Jen Thyrion: I know.
I had that thought once I said that, I was like, oh wait, this is happening way too fast. Yeah. 'cause I think I told before we started talking on air. I mentioned Claude. Yeah, and actually like I personally, I know, I feel like you were ahead by using chat for two and a half years, you said. I'm like, whoa.
I've only been, I guess I've only really been truly aware of it for about a year, Uhhuh and really using it. But Claude, so many people have been talking about the plastic few weeks I feel.
So
Brooke Berndt: it is hyper state. So once they integrated the code in it and the skill, so it's skills and then it's the connectors.
So the connectors. [:Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: So it can't read your Instagram. So I had it, here's perfect. In closing, I had it go to my Instagram and see all the gaps in my content.
I had to go through all my offers and see all the gaps where I'm losing money or I could add more value or I could upsell. I don't have time. To do that all. Sure. You know what I'm saying?
Jen Thyrion: Oh yeah. For sure.
Brooke Berndt: I could sit there and sift through my sales copy and think on it and go back and forth, but when it does, it gave me, it spit me out all this stuff, which I was like, I'm missing out with so much money there.
Jen Thyrion: Wow.
Brooke Berndt: Yes. And Instagram just launched the affiliate links into. Reels. Did you know that?
Jen Thyrion: I did not know that. Mm-hmm. Wow.
sets, marketing, sales, ai, [:Jen Thyrion: Mm-hmm.
Brooke Berndt: This 20 to 30% decrease. Okay. Take your personal brand, the stuff you love, your business expertise, wrap it up online and sell it.
Jen Thyrion: Yes, I love it.
Brooke Berndt: It takes 10 people, 15 people, 20 people.
Jen Thyrion: Yeah,
Brooke Berndt: that's it.
Jen Thyrion: Okay. I love this. That I really could keep going 'cause I wanna say something out there. I'm like, there's so many things.
There's so many things. But I look forward to chatting more in detail, like I said in the Goalie Link Society too. So I'm gonna keep it at that, but I really just truly wanna sign up and have you help me figure things out. How to systemize. 'cause I talk about it a lot and I'll be talking about the podcast.
lly I'm a award of the year. [:What have I, and systems have been huge on my list. Outsourcing systems, consistency, which obviously goes with systems, right? So I've been implementing that so much in, I've done a lot already in the four months, but it's, this obviously just goes along with, I feel like there's definitely gaps and huge things I'm missing of how I can systemize with ai.
So.
Brooke Berndt: Awesome. These systems are key because even if the platform evolves, the system's still in place. Yes.
Jen Thyrion: You
Brooke Berndt: know what I'm saying? So you can upgrade the platform as you evolve and as life goes on. But yes, the systems have to be in place.
Jen Thyrion: I hear you.
Brooke Berndt: Scale. Sorry. I
Jen Thyrion: hear you. Awesome. Thank you so much.
Brooke Berndt: Thank you.
Jen Thyrion: Great. And we mentioned where we can find you. So Instagram is your place?
Brooke Berndt: Instagram is my place. I have a newsletter. I have a lots of free stuff. I have a free AI guide. I, I just stuff and you can DM me if you guys have questions. DM me. Perfect. And I'd love to be a service.
Jen Thyrion: And then you did say you have, so you do have that app right now?
Yes.
eated it. I haven't launched [:Jen Thyrion: Okay.
Brooke Berndt: And
Jen Thyrion: because I'm like, I'm plug that if you have one. I'm like, I'm writing down my app before looking for it.
I'm like,
Brooke Berndt: Nope, nope. It's on my list to do. Which it shouldn't take too long. 'cause again, it just. Spit stuff out and you're just like, yeah, but the more I learn, I'm like, I wanna add more of my AI knowledge into that
Jen Thyrion: app. I love it. Yeah. Oh my gosh, this was amazing. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time and yeah, we'll, I'm sure we'll be chatting with you again.
Brooke Berndt: Yes,
Jen Thyrion: I'm sure of. Love
Brooke Berndt: it. I can't wait to come in the community. Thanks, Jen.
Jen Thyrion: Thank you. Have a good day. We'll talk soon. Bye-Bye.
Brooke Berndt: Bye.
Jen Thyrion: Well, how do you feel? I hope you found value in today's episode and you walk away feeling inspired. I would love to hear from you. Let's link up. You can find me on Instagram at Goldie Link Society.
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