What AI strategist Ed Troxel wants every small business owner—and every professional—to know about the future of work.
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the greatest productivity tool of our generation or the technology that’s about to eliminate millions of jobs. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.
That’s why I launched the AI Workforce Series: to move beyond the headlines and have practical conversations that help you understand what AI actually means for your career, your business, and our community. Rather than focusing on fear, the series focuses on opportunity.
Our first conversation featured Ed Troxel, a strategic marketing advisor who helps coaches, consultants, and small business owners build stronger businesses by combining their expertise with modern AI tools. One message emerged almost immediately: AI isn’t replacing experience. It’s making experience more valuable than ever.
Why We Started This Series
This series was born out of a simple observation. Across California, and particularly here in Solano County, the workforce is changing rapidly. Layoffs have become increasingly common. Entire industries are evolving. People who have spent decades building careers are wondering what comes next. At the same time, artificial intelligence is becoming part of nearly every profession.
Rather than waiting for these changes to happen to our community, I believe we should prepare people to succeed within them. As a councilmember, I want to make sure you have access to practical information that helps you adapt, grow, and create new opportunities. That became the foundation for the AI Workforce Series.
“You Don’t Need to Learn Everything”
One of the first myths Ed wanted to challenge was the idea that you need to become an AI expert before you can benefit from artificial intelligence. “You don’t,” he explained.
In fact, keeping up with every new AI platform is impossible. New tools appear almost daily, and existing platforms add features constantly. Instead of chasing every new application, Ed recommends something much simpler.
Solve problems.
If a repetitive task consumes part of your day, AI can probably help with it. For a small business owner, that might mean:
- Drafting emails
- Brainstorming marketing ideas
- Writing social media posts
- Organizing meeting notes
- Creating proposals
- Summarizing research
- Developing presentations
The objective isn’t to master dozens of AI applications. It’s to reclaim your time. Every hour AI saves on repetitive work is an hour you can invest in customers, relationships, strategy, or growing your business.
Your Greatest Asset Isn’t AI. It’s Your Experience.
I wanted to ask Ed about one of the biggest concerns facing today’s workforce: “What about people who’ve spent twenty or thirty years building expertise in a profession?”
Many experienced professionals worry that AI makes those years less valuable. Ed sees exactly the opposite.
Your knowledge is the one thing AI doesn’t have. AI doesn’t understand your customers or know your community. It hasn’t spent decades solving problems, navigating challenges, and building relationships. You have.
What AI can do is help you package that expertise faster than ever. Instead of spending weeks creating presentations, educational materials, marketing copy, or a website, you can now create strong first drafts in minutes. That doesn’t eliminate the need for experience. It allows your experience to reach more people.
As Ed put it, AI isn’t doing your thinking. It’s helping you get your thinking into the world faster.
Small Business Has Never Had More Leverage
Nowhere is AI creating more opportunity than in small business. For decades, large companies enjoyed advantages that entrepreneurs simply couldn’t afford:
- Marketing departments.
- Graphic designers.
- Copywriters.
- Research teams.
- Administrative staff.
Today, many of those capabilities are available to a solo entrepreneur with the right AI tools. That doesn’t mean AI replaces employees. It means entrepreneurs can spend less time buried in administrative work and more time doing what actually grows their businesses:
- Relationships.
- Networking.
- Serving customers.
- Creating value.
In many ways, AI is leveling the playing field. Small businesses can now move with a speed that was once reserved for much larger organizations.
AI Is Becoming a Workforce Skill
Throughout our conversation, one idea kept surfacing: this discussion is really about workforce development. Learning to use AI is quickly becoming like learning email, spreadsheets, or search engines, part of modern professional literacy. The professionals who begin experimenting today won’t know everything, but they’ll develop confidence, and confidence creates momentum. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Curiosity Beats Confidence
One of my favorite moments came when we turned toward beginners. People often assume they’re behind and that everyone else already knows how to use AI. The truth is much simpler: everyone is still learning.
The technology is evolving so quickly that even experts are constantly experimenting with new tools and refining how they work. So you don’t need confidence before you begin. You need curiosity.
Ask questions. Try different prompts. Experiment. See what works. Keep what helps, and discard what doesn’t. Progress comes from practice.
Looking Ahead
This conversation is only the beginning. Future episodes of the AI Workforce Series will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping careers, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, government, and economic opportunity. Our goal isn’t simply to talk about AI. It’s to help you use it.
Whether you’re building a business, looking for your next career opportunity, or simply wondering how artificial intelligence fits into your future, one thing became clear in my conversation with Ed Troxel: your experience is still your greatest competitive advantage. AI simply gives you more ways to put it to work.
For campaign and election information, visit ElectKPatriceWilliams.com.
About the AI Workforce Series
The AI Workforce Series is an initiative I launched as your Fairfield City Councilmember to help residents, professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders better understand the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence.
Through conversations with industry experts, the series explores practical strategies for workforce development, economic mobility, and preparing our communities for the future of work.