Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Henry Sedgwick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Henry, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

The last 6 years of my life was spent analysing data for finance companies. That’s a long time to spend doing something you’re not passionate about, but at the very least I learnt a lot about what I ‘don’t’ want out of career. So I quit, and went off travelling to go and figure out the rest.

My plan was pretty simple, I’d put together enough savings to keep me afloat for a little while, and I was going to spend the next 6 months trying anything and everything I could until I found something that felt like the right direction. It was a pretty exciting time, the nice thing about not knowing what you want out of your future is that anything you try feels exciting and full of potential. I ended up in New York and within a few months I’d had a job as a bartender, a vlogger, selling vintage clothes, a chess teacher, and finally I tried making short films using AI.

I fell in love with AI pretty instantly. I would generate images using AI, turn those images into videos, write scripts, edit them and post to youtube. It was during this process that I learned about training custom models on datasets in order to teach AI new concepts. By doing this AI will begin to understand what something looks like and will be able to replicate it. I used this technique to create consistent characters for my films but I noticed the immense potential this had for advertising. The ability to recreate a product using AI would eliminate the need for small businesses to spend 1000’s of dollars on photoshoots. Having worked at a company in the past which provides financial instruments for small-medium enterprises. I knew exactly how lucrative it could be to open up a service to the SME market that they are currently priced out of.

And from there it was full steam ahead, I decided the best way to offer this service to small businesses was via a website, so with the help of AI I spent the next few months coding non stop until I eventually had a product I was proud of. At launch a user is able to log on to my site, upload 10-15 images and we will automatically train a model on those images, and within 30 minutes the user can generate professional photo-shoot quality images of their product, and then if they want, turn the images to videos. All for about $30, instead of $1000

Henry, you’ve built a career at the intersection of AI development and creative work. What’s your story, and how do you respond to people who see AI as a threat to human creativity?

Working in AI is a contentious field. I’ve spent considerable time working with and creating AI products, and I’d like to offer a different perspective. I understand AI can be intimidating—concerns about job security are entirely valid, and for creative professionals, it might feel like a dilution of genuine human creativity. These concerns deserve acknowledgment, but I believe there’s another way to view this technological shift.
On a personal level, I wouldn’t be where I am today without AI. Coming from a technical background, I never had the opportunity to properly develop my creative abilities. I simply had no idea where to start, and AI provided an accessible entry point that felt genuine and artistic. It opened the world of film and photography to me in ways that would have otherwise seemed insurmountable. Beyond creativity, AI taught me software development skills and enabled me to write code I couldn’t have mastered independently. I deeply feel that I’m not competing with AI—rather, it’s a tool that allows me to become a better version of myself. I encourage others to consider how it might similarly enhance their capabilities.
This philosophy shapes how I want people to view my business, AIMS. Though AI cannot match the nuanced expertise of professional photographers, we’re not trying to compete with human talent. Instead, we’re expanding the creative ecosystem—offering solutions for those who are priced out of professional services.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most important lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that stability always equals success. For six years, I worked in a job that looked good on paper – it was stable, paid the bills, and provided security. But I wasn’t fulfilled or challenged in ways that mattered to me.

What surprised me most was how difficult it was to leave that situation, even though I was unhappy and generally not risk-averse in other areas of my life. There’s a powerful gravitational pull to the familiar, even when that familiar situation isn’t serving us well.

I discovered that even during the challenging periods after leaving – when finances were tight and my future felt uncertain – I still preferred that state of productive uncertainty to the comfortable dissatisfaction I had before. The backstory is that I eventually reached a breaking point where the dissatisfaction of staying outweighed the fear of leaving. What I’ve learned since is that taking calculated risks toward greater fulfillment is almost always worth doing, even when they don’t immediately pay off in conventional ways. The growth and self-knowledge that come from these leaps have consistently proven more valuable than the comfort I left behind.

I don’t regret those six years – they taught me what I don’t want and gave me the contrast to appreciate where I am now. But I wish I’d unlearned that lesson sooner: that stability without fulfillment isn’t really success at all.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Yes, and discovering this additional revenue stream happened almost by accident. After pouring countless late nights into building my main business, I realized I’d developed a pretty deep expertise in AI implementation which evolved into a consulting role for other business that I never originally planned. What’s been most valuable about this arrangement is how mutually beneficial it’s become. When I consult with e-commerce stores about their AI needs, I’m not just providing a service for additional income – I’m gaining real insights into how successful businesses run their ad campaigns and operations. Seeing firsthand how these companies approach their marketing strategies and business processes has given me knowledge that I’ve directly applied to strengthen my own business.

I never initially planned to become a consultant, but looking back, it makes perfect sense. The expertise I developed through dedication to my primary business created this opportunity. Now, each side enhances the other – my consulting improves my primary business performance, which in turn strengthens my consulting credentials.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.useaims.com
• Other: admin@useaims.com for any enquiries.