The Skills Bootcamp gave me something that is very difficult to find when you are running a small business: dedicated time, expert guidance and the confidence to learn something completely new.
How Zoe brought AI into every part of Pebble
Zoe Groom runs Pebble Cornwall, an independent retailer with stores in Falmouth and Plymouth. She has been learning with DPN since 2018 and since our AI for Workplace Productivity Skills Bootcamp in February 2026, she now uses AI across every part of her business, and she's brought her team with her.
Many hats, no time to learn alone
"I wear many hats in my day-to-day life as an independent business owner, employer, mum, daughter. I am passionate about self-growth and improving myself, but I just don't have the time to structure that learning on my own."
Zoe first trained with DPN on a social media short course in 2018 and kept an eye on our courses ever since. When our email about AI for Workplace Productivity arrived, the timing was just right.
"Having a local training provider was really important to me. It felt like real people who understood our jobs, our lives and the part of the world we are working in."
Learning that fits around a business
The course runs live online, at a set time each week, with tutors guiding every session. Zoe also had one-to-one time with tutors and practical help with the technical side when she needed it.
"It was interactive rather than home learning on your own, and there was accountability to actually show up every week, so no making excuses because you were too busy! The tutors pace the sessions really well, there are resources you can revisit afterwards and you come away from each session feeling that you have actually achieved something."
AI across every part of Pebble
"The biggest change has been moving from simply experimenting with AI to using it as a practical business tool. I now use AI regularly across Pebble to support business planning, staff communication, HR processes, marketing, data analysis, document creation and operational problem-solving."
One example is a master margin calculator and pricing log in Google Sheets. It sits on the company drive and gives both stores the same process for pricing new stock.
"This is a task I would not have been able to achieve before the bootcamp, and it has saved time, money and ensured consistency and customer satisfaction."
Zoe now looks at her business differently, seeing repeated tasks as workflows that AI or automation could make simpler. She also thinks carefully about when to use it:
"Rather than simply introducing new technology because it is available, I am now able to consider data privacy, GDPR, security, human oversight and whether AI is actually appropriate for the task."
Taking the team with her
Zoe has gone on to DPN's AI & Automation Practitioner Apprenticeship. She has also put two of her team through our Skills Bootcamps, in AI for Workplace Productivity and Digital Marketing.
"For a small business, knowing the time and financial commitment upfront and having the learning delivered and supported by the tutors has made it very easy for us to say yes. Both team members have felt valued by the business investing in them and are already putting their learning into practice."
What's next?
Zoe plans to keep growing Pebble and, in time, her plan is to support other women founders in the southwest.
"I would love to create something practical, supportive and accessible that helps more women feel confident enough to keep learning and growing their businesses."
Her advice to anyone thinking about training with DPN: "If you are interested but worried about anything, just ask the questions before you decide. Don't write off an opportunity for yourself."
Read Cornwall Opportunities' feature on Zoe