During National Small Business Week, we celebrate the entrepreneurs who power our local economies, create jobs, and meet needs of the community. As a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and founder of Wilson’s Garden of Hope, LLC Play Therapy and Counseling Center, I see firsthand how small businesses do more than just drive commerce. We change lives.

At my counseling practice, we serve local children, adolescents, and families. For us, growth isn’t measured just in revenue. It’s measured in the number of children who finally have a safe space to tackle trauma, depression, and other behavioral and mental issues.

But like many small business owners throughout the CSRA, I had to build this from the ground up. Technology, more specifically, digital tools, made that growth possible.

When I launched the Center, I didn’t have a massive marketing budget or a team of strategists. What I did have was access to platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), which allowed me to use personalized advertising to reach the families who needed our services most. Instead of casting a wide net on television or radio, I was able to target local parents searching for support, connect with educators, and engage directly with my neighbors in need.

That precision matters. It means fewer wasted dollars and more meaningful connections. It means a parent who is overwhelmed and unsure where to turn can find us at exactly the right moment.

Today, those same digital tools have allowed us to scale our practice, launching a second location in Aiken, SC. We use Meta to share resources, promote services, and expand awareness about early childhood mental health. And recently, we started using artificial intelligence to help us do even more.

From streamlining administrative tasks, crafting and launching ad campaigns, to helping our team provide resources and insights to clients, AI allows us to operate more efficiently. As someone who recently earned a doctoral degree in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in AI, I see tremendous potential for these technologies to expand access to care, especially in underserved communities.

That’s why last week, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Meta Business Leaders Network annual conference where small business owners from across the country gathered to share how digital tools and AI are shaping our work and our futures.

During the conference, I had the opportunity to sit down with Congressman Rick Allen (along with staff from the offices of Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock) to speak candidly about the realities of running a small mental health practice.

We discussed how digital tools and AI are key to our future success and how policy decisions being made in Washington right now will determine whether small businesses like mine can continue to succeed.

If access to personalized advertising is restricted without consideration for small business realities, it will become harder and more expensive for providers like me to reach the families we serve. If AI innovation is slowed or overregulated, we risk losing opportunities to expand care and improve outcomes.

As Congress considers the future of digital tools and artificial intelligence, I urge policymakers to do two things.

First, protect access to personalized advertising that allows small businesses to grow and connect with their communities in cost-effective ways.

Second, support policies that foster responsible AI innovation, ensuring that small businesses can continue to leverage these technologies to expand services, improve efficiency, and increase access to care.

For me, this isn’t about algorithms or platforms. It’s about the child who finally gets the support they need. It’s about the parent who feels seen and heard. It’s about building healthier families and stronger communities.

Small businesses like mine are driving innovation every day. This National Small Business Week, let’s recognize that impact and make sure the policies of tomorrow empower us to keep doing this important work.