Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Family Line is a Verizon Family app feature that provides one phone number for the entire family through Verizon Family Plus! Share with up to 5 members, get alerts when calls come in and join at any time.
Family Line is a Verizon Family app feature that provides one phone number for the entire family through Verizon Family Plus! Share with up to 5 members, get alerts when calls come in and join at any time.
![Mannequin Madness finds a new business partner in AI
Judi Henderson has “always been curious about the next, newest thing.” That’s how she found herself buying a single mannequin in 1999 for an art project — and ended up an entrepreneur.
Henderson, 69, is the owner of Mannequin Madness, a thriving mannequin sales, rental and recycling business in Oakland, California. The business has grown thanks in part to her willingness to keep learning about new technology, from digital marketing and social media to practical AI tools for small businesses. Verizon’s free skill-development programs have helped her build those skills and put them to work in her business.
How Judi is using AI for her small business Social media: In Verizon’s free online courses, Henderson learned how to identify the most strategic platforms, saving her time and marketing dollars.
AI for content: Henderson uses AI tools to generate images for her website and help create content for her blog.
AI for tasks: She also uses AI to respond to customers, automate tasks and prepare for vendor meetings. She estimates this gives her 20% more time in productivity alone.
Coaching and reviews with experts: Henderson takes advantage of Verizon’s expert coaching, both live and online. She appreciates the diversity of people taking part.
As the retail landscape changes, Henderson is dedicated to changing with it. “AI [feels] like a whole new world, and I like that it gets me excited,” she says. “I feel like I could be on the cutting edge of something and that is appealing to me.”
“I’m amazed that something that’s free has so much value,” Henderson says. “Verizon gives us the tools we need, making sure small businesses are not left behind.”
Discover free AI courses (https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/results/ai?) and resources designed to help small-business owners put AI to work.
An individual users experience may vary and results are not guaranteed. Mannequin Madness finds a new business partner in AI](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tGQBay-psQo/mqdefault.jpg)





![With data-driven decisions, Goat House Gym increases profits
Camryn Bukowski’s garage in Phillipsburg, Montana, was getting crowded. She had been teaching functional fitness classes there and had plenty of demand since the nearest open-to-anyone gym was more than 100 miles away. But when Bukowski and a business partner decided to open Goat House Gym together in 2023, they soon learned that making a profit in the small town was tougher than they’d expected.
Fortunately, Bukowski found resources from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready and learned she needed to factor in more of her costs to move past break-even. “We were really concerned that increasing our membership prices meant we would lose members,” Bukowski says. She restructured her memberships, raised her prices 18% and started to see a profit. “We didn’t lose members. [In fact], we were able to retain them. The Digital Ready courses gave me confidence to base our prices on real numbers and know my worth.”
Digital Ready also taught Bukowski, who is now running the business on her own, to let data drive her marketing plan. After analyzing the gym’s email and social media campaigns, she began tailoring messages by audience, adding relevant offers and sharing stories about her members. Reaching the right people led to sold-out small-group training sessions. “Social media and email engagement directly correlates to our revenue each month,” she says.
With profits steadier and more predictable, Bukowski has been able to reinvest. She bought three new machines and hired a videographer to film for a new online training program, extending Goat House’s reach beyond Phillipsburg. Goat House Gym now tailors their equipment and classes to serve members of all ages, with dedicated programs for toddlers, teens and older adults. Bukowski employs 11 people in a town where instructor jobs barely existed.
“Now I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Bukowski says. “I love running a gym. I love the members and the community here.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit https://wwww.CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual users experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
#VerizonSmallBusinessDigitalReady #DigitalReady #SmallBusiness #EntrepreneurLife With data-driven decisions, Goat House Gym increases profits](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uwE8Cj8crBo/mqdefault.jpg)



