Three Years of AI: What The Woodlands SMBs Should Be Grateful For This Thanksgiving
Where do you want to be in 3 years?
That question hit me hard as I realized it was exactly three years ago—November 30, 2022—that OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the world.
In that time, AI went from "something the tech giants do" to something your local HVAC company uses to answer customer calls at 2 AM. In only three years, massive shifts have taken place, and we're just getting started.
While opinions on AI range from infinite hope to despair and gloom, I want to bring the bright light of gratefulness from last week's Thanksgiving holiday. As a business owner here in The Woodlands, I've witnessed firsthand what AI has done for our community—and the incredible future ahead for those willing to take the leap forward.
What We're Actually Grateful For
1. AI Leveled the Playing Field
Three years ago, sophisticated customer service automation required a six-figure budget and a team of developers. Today? A local marine service company can deploy an AI voice agent that handles after-hours calls, books appointments, and never misses a lead—for less than the cost of a part-time employee.
I'm grateful that small businesses in The Woodlands don't have to choose between "big company capabilities" and "small business budgets" anymore. That manufacturing shop in Conroe, that dental practice on Research Forest—they all have access to tools that were science fiction in 2021.
Real talk: The gap between Fortune 500 capabilities and SMB resources is shrinking fast.
2. AI Gave Us Back Time
Here's what I'm most grateful for: watching business owners reclaim hours of their week.
One HVAC owner used to spend 3-4 hours every Monday morning reviewing weekend service calls and matching technicians to jobs. Now his AI copilot handles the initial triage, and he reviews a clean dashboard over coffee. Those hours? He's spending them with family or growing his business.
Time isn't just money for SMB owners—it's sanity. It's showing up at your kid's game. It's actually taking a vacation. It's remembering why you started the business in the first place.
3. AI Made "Good Enough" Into "Exceptional"
Before AI, small businesses had to make brutal trade-offs: Answer calls OR focus on service delivery. Track metrics OR serve customers. Train new people OR keep veterans productive.
Now? You can do both.
A local trades business implemented a Tech Copilot system—giving every technician instant access to their entire technical manual library and troubleshooting guides. Their rookie techs now solve problems in the field that used to require callbacks. Their veterans tackle more complex jobs because they're not constantly interrupted with basic questions.
That's not replacing people—that's amplifying them.
4. AI Captures Every Opportunity
Three years ago, if a potential customer called at 7 PM on a Saturday, that lead was probably gone by Monday. AI changed that math completely. Now every lead gets instant response. Every question gets answered. Every opportunity gets captured—without burning out your team.
The Future Worth Getting Excited About
Here's what has me pumped for The Woodlands business community:
The ROI timeline is collapsing. Three years ago, an automation project might take 6-12 months to show returns. Now I'm seeing businesses recoup their AI investments in 30-60 days. That changes everything.
The barrier to entry keeps dropping. Tools like Google's NotebookLM are so intuitive that if you can use a smartphone, you can leverage AI. The "I'm not tech-savvy" excuse is disappearing fast.
AI is moving from "does tasks" to "understands your business." The next wave isn't about chatbots—it's about AI that knows your processes and makes intelligent decisions based on your specific context.
But What About the Fear?
Look, there are legitimate concerns. But here's what I know from working with local businesses: the fear usually evaporates once people actually use AI. Because they realize it's handling the stuff they hated anyway.
Nobody misses manually entering data at 11 PM. Nobody misses playing phone tag with customers.
The businesses thriving right now said "let me try this" instead of "let me wait and see."
Your Next Step
Here's what I want you to do this week:
Identify one task you absolutely hate in your business. Just one. The thing that makes you groan every time it comes up.
Spend 15 minutes researching if AI can help with it. Not implementing it. Not buying anything. Just Google it. Ask ChatGPT. Send me a message.
Imagine having those hours back. What would you do with them? Work on growth? Spend time with family? Actually take a lunch break?
Where We Go From Here
The businesses that will dominate The Woodlands market in 2027 are being built right now. They're using AI to deliver faster service, better experiences, and more consistent results than competitors can match manually.
The question isn't whether AI will transform your industry—it's whether you'll be leading that transformation or reacting to it.
I'm grateful we get to figure this out together. Because the best part about this AI revolution? It's not happening to small businesses. It's happening for them.
And that's something worth being thankful for.
What are you grateful for in your business this year? I'd love to hear what's working for you.
Curious about how AI could give you back some time in 2025? Let's grab coffee. I'm always up for talking shop with fellow Woodlands business owners.
Growth, Automated.
