Ten years ago, Jessica Spencer was on a six-hour trip to Atlanta. Like many road trip warriors, she decided to pass the time with a podcast.
That was the first time Jessica heard The Smart Passive Income Podcast, a show that’s still up and running weekly with Pat Flynn behind the mic. She was taken by Pat’s approach to customer-centric marketing. What Jessica didn’t know, as her car floated gently down the Georgia highway, was where the podcast would lead her.
Nine years later, she found SPI’s All-Access Pass community and her entrepreneurial journey would never be the same.
An Advocate for Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As an early adopter of AI, Jessica — who describes herself as a “total computer nerd” — quickly realized the potential for AI technologies to change the way we work, live, and run our businesses.
It all started with an IBM Watson certification through Coursera, where Jessica built a model capable of identifying different dog breeds and created her own chatbot. “It opened so many doors,” she says. Soon, she was exploring AI’s capability to draft written content, write custom code for websites, and more.
But the real breakthrough came when she and her husband, a sixth-grade teacher, started to discuss what AI could do for people like him. That conversation was a jumping-off point for a course on using ChatGPT for teachers.
“AI is something that there’s a lot of energy around,” Jessica says. “There’s a lot of opportunity to improve our lives with it.”
Jessica’s goals as an advocate for AI are ambitious, to put it lightly. “I want to help thousands better their lives by learning how to leverage AI and other technologies in an authentic and aligned way,” she says. On a more personal level, Jessica’s goals include building transparency in the world of political investments and bringing awareness to the foster-to-adopt system, a cause she is deeply passionate about.
Speaking of — Jessica does all of this as a mom to five. When asked how she does it, she laughs and says “I try to make sure I take my ADHD meds.” She goes on, “My husband, Noah, has been absolutely amazing and so supportive of my journey as an entrepreneur. Setting expectations with the kids and staying firm with my boundaries is something that I’ve been working on. One thing I’ve started doing recently is blocking off time on my calendar for doing activities with the kids. Noah and I have also started making date nights a more regular thing. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily whirlwind of to-do’s, and it’s been really important to stay mindful of where I spend my time to ensure that it’s holistically aligned with my priorities.”
Having left her corporate career — where she most recently worked as the Director of Marketing for a large healthcare IT firm — Jessica knew she needed a supportive community. Somewhere she could find inspiration, get questions answered, connect with other entrepreneurs, and learn critical skills as she continued to grow her brand. That place was the All-Access Pass, SPI’s learning community built around community-driven courses.
She soon found herself immersed in an inspirational community she could access anytime, anywhere. As she continued to build her LLC, Penguin Connective, she decided to transition to the SPI Pro community — a membership geared towards established entrepreneurs.
“Being a part of that, where everyone’s kind of driving each other but there’s this high level of support — you see what’s possible,” she says. “There’s accountability with it and it’s been really motivating.”
Jessica cites the high level of engagement in SPI Pro as one of the key factors in her growth. Inside SPI’s communities, she’s found a place where she can go not just for validation or a quick answer, but to actually engage and dive further on topics through message threads, mastermind calls, and more. “People take a genuine interest in each other’s lives instead of just liking something to get visibility,” she says.
She’s been able to connect with other members one-on-one and unlock new opportunities for collaboration too. “There is a deeper level of connection than what I’ve found in other places previously,” she emphasizes.
Tussling with Imposter Syndrome
Jessica doesn’t hesitate to underscore just how much the community has helped her feel supported. However, the most important transformation she’s experienced is in her mindset. “When I started out as an entrepreneur, I thought that I’d be able to just run with it… I had an MBA, a background in marketing, and nearly 20 years in corporate under my belt,” she says. “What I wasn’t expecting was the mindset work I would need to do. Imposter syndrome is a bear.”
Through one-on-one calls with other members, Jessica found more direction and clarity through her journey, leading her to realize the next steps and uncover deeper work ahead. Moreover, her experience has given her a healthier perspective on the entrepreneurial journey; she now views “failure” as an opportunity to learn and grow.
A Podcast, a Community, and a Beautiful Future
During some of the one-on-one calls Jessica has had with other members, she realized she wanted to do something she hadn’t thought of before — starting a podcast. Despite describing herself as an introvert, the community helped her realize that she had to share these fascinating conversations about AI with a wider audience. Being part of a community full of podcasters and entrepreneurs, she was in the perfect place to do so — many community members became guests on the show, and AI Genie was born.
Now, Jessica is building a community for others who want to leverage AI to make a meaningful impact in the world. AI Explorers was born, with a mission to “demystify AI, to open your eyes to a world of possibilities that transcends the well-trodden path of content creation.” She cites SPI’s Community Business Blueprint course as key to her community’s success. “I think sometimes as entrepreneurs, we feel like we’re just like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what, see what sticks,” she says. “Going through that course in particular, I definitely felt like I had a pathway to lay the foundation and create a really solid structure.”
As for what’s next for Jessica, the word “range” comes to mind. She’s currently creating a course on AI for musicians and another on AI for entrepreneurs.
“I want to be able to travel the world with my family and create awesome memories while building a more secure future for us on our own terms,” she accentuates.
With a strong community supporting her, she’s well on her way.
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David Grabowski