How a solo founder in the UK is using Google AI to build her business and confidence

An interview with Sherie Potter, founder of Frankie Doodles, a children’s and personalised clothing brand.

When my son, Frankie, was born prematurely at 25 weeks, it changed the trajectory of my life. I had worked as an estate agent but soon found myself running a business, almost accidentally.

Frankie weighed just two pounds at birth and holding him for the first time felt like cradling a piece of paper. He spent 77 days in the hospital and finding clothes that could fit his tiny body around all the tubes and wires felt nearly impossible. I’ll never forget finding a single vest, no bigger than a sock, priced at £17. It was so expensive, I broke down in tears. I started tracking down wholesalers myself, buying affordable multipacks and passing the extras along to other parents who were in the same boat. Before I knew it, people were asking when I was setting up a business. That’s how my childrenswear brand, Frankie Doodles, was born.

I had to learn everything on the job, from managing inventory and packaging to marketing and customer service. The learning curve was steep, and it took 16 weeks just to land my first website sale. The weight of running the business all on my own began to lift in 2024, after I attended a Google Digital Garage training and began integrating AI into my work process. I started by sharing my business background, aims, and biggest challenges with Gemini, and slowly, it became my go-to sounding board for strategy, site improvements, and refining social media content.

"Being a solo founder can be lonely, but Gemini offers a judgment-free space to ask anything, collaborate, explore new possibilities, and keep moving forward with confidence."

When I noticed a rise in abandoned checkouts on the website, I asked Gemini for help troubleshooting. It identified the lack of shipping options as a potential bottleneck, and I started offering tiered shipping, which solved the issue to a large extent. Then, it changed the way I look at product pages: Instead of just describing an item, Gemini suggested I sell the lifestyle around it. So, rather than just a 'simple pink dress,' I started describing it as the perfect outfit for summer beach days or birthday parties. It made perfect sense and reminded me that it’s exactly what I did back in my estate agency days; I sold a lifestyle, not just a house.

Gemini also recommended starting a blog to share my story with potential customers. I worked with Gemini to refine my posts, and after sharing the first one on social media, website traffic tripled and converted to six sales in just two hours.

“Implementing Gemini’s suggestions to improve customer engagement led to a 75 percent increase in sales from the website in the first quarter of the year, a time that’s normally quiet after the holiday rush.”

To keep growing the business, I use Gemini to research market trends and ideas for new products. Noticing a rise in personalised clothing, I included it in my product offering. At first it was simply names, but now I also print photos and images on clothes. Not only has this led to more individual orders, but also bulk ones.

The business has grown along with Frankie, who is now 13. Over the years, my range has naturally evolved from specialised premature babywear to a full collection for children. Some mums tell me I’m selling my clothes for too little, but for me, this legacy of affordable children’s clothing is for Frankie. For any entrepreneur sitting on the fence about technology, my advice is simple: AI isn't here to do your job — it's an assistant that empowers you to keep learning and build something truly your own.