This episode is my love letter to December, the sparkly, chaotic month that somehow manages to deliver holiday joy and business panic in the same breath. I got into why this season feels like it’s personally targeting anyone running a company, and how the real issue isn’t the calendar, it’s the constant repetition baked into your day.

I talked about the stress stew of inbox chaos, year-end pressure, family plans, and that low-grade fear that everything might fall apart the second you try to take time off. And because this is The Queen of Automation podcast, I dug into the sneaky tasks that drain your time and attention without you even noticing. The pings, the follow-ups, the tiny admin loops that steal more energy than the big, important work ever does.

The heart of the episode is a simple mindset shift, that reclaiming your time isn’t about doing more, it’s about removing what never needed your brain in the first place. Exploring how free yourself from even a couple of those repeatable tasks can completely change how the holidays feel, and how automation, delegation, and smarter systems are really just tools for getting your life back.

So if December has you feeling stretched, scattered, or secretly spiraling, this conversation is the reset your nervous system needed. It’s all about making this season lighter, making next year smarter, and reminding you that your business doesn’t need to hold you hostage to run well.

And yes, you deserve a holiday that doesn’t come with a side of panic.

This week on The Queen of Automation, I really went all-in on something that’s been bubbling up in every conversation lately, fear. The real, sweaty-palms, am-I-about-to-be-replaced kind. And I didn’t sugarcoat it. I said the thing out loud: yes, the fear is valid. And also, you’re aiming it in the wrong direction. AI isn’t the villain in the movie; it’s the sassy sidekick who shows up with iced coffee and a plan.

Anthony and I unpacked what’s actually happening when people say they’re “afraid of AI,” because let’s be honest, it’s rarely the tech. It’s the loss of control. It’s the unknown. It’s the moment you realize your job, your industry, or even your identity might need to evolve faster than you’re comfortable with. And that’s a lot. I get it. I’ve lived it.

But here’s the part I kept coming back to: your mind gets to decide whether AI is the thing that destroys your momentum or the thing that scales it. I talked about how communication, real communication, is the heart of every relationship, including the one you’re building with AI. If you feed it vague, low-effort prompts, it’s going to mirror that energy right back at you. Garbage in, garbage out. But if you treat it like a capable partner and give it context, direction, tone, expectations, it becomes a superpower. A multiplier. A second brain that actually listens.

We got into the weeds about prompting, why most people are doing it wrong, why a “long prompt” isn’t wasted time, and how the right structure can get you to 98%-done content every single time. And yes, I admitted that I talk to my AI like a person, with please and thank you and the occasional emotional check-in. And no, I’m not stopping.

We also talked about the bigger picture. About how AI didn’t suddenly show up, it’s been around for years. Zoom transcripts? AI. Your phone finishing your sentences? AI. The stuff everybody was happily using until it suddenly got a name and a spotlight.

And then we wrapped it all in a reminder I probably needed to hear too: you still have control. You control how you react, how you adapt, how quickly you learn, and how willing you are to experiment. AI isn’t replacing the humans who stay curious. It’s replacing the ones who freeze.

If you’re in that fear spiral, this episode is basically me grabbing you by the shoulders, gently, and reminding you that you’re not powerless. You’re early.

And if you want help learning this stuff the right way, with the right systems and the right humans, well… that’s literally what we do.

In this episode of The Queen of Automation, I finally got to sit down with someone I’ve followed forever, Alana Sparrow, and let me tell you, she did not disappoint. From her Instagram brilliance to her LinkedIn presence, Alana’s brand voice is everything I wish more people would lean into: bold, grounded, creative, and unapologetically real.

We got into the real story behind her personal brand philosophy and why branding should never be some recycled jargon blueprint. Alana shared what she calls your "unique value DNA," this uncopyable blend of four elements (which she didn’t reveal because genius has boundaries, okay?) that power your messaging spine and make your identity actually sustainable instead of pieced together from borrowed internet noise.

The part that hit me the hardest? Her take on personal branding versus business branding. When you build a business brand, it’s often manufactured from archetypes. But a personal brand needs to be lived. It has to be you. And if you try to mimic someone else, people will feel it and bounce.

Alana walked us through her brand development process, how she leverages her background in painting and design to shape visual identity, and how important it is to root your messaging in the actual experiences and values that built you. If you're trying to make people feel something when they interact with your brand (and you should be), this episode is your new playbook.

We also talked about the role of strategy, systems, and even posting cadence, because none of this content magic is accidental. It’s a creative system, not chaos.

This was a hilarious, real, tech-glitch-filled ride (seriously, go watch the video if you need a laugh), but it was packed with sharp insight on standing out and being irreplaceable in your niche.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a personal brand that actually works without selling your soul, this one’s for you.

Connect with Alana on LinkedIn to see what real thought leadership looks like and start rethinking the way you show up online.

This episode was a ride, and a fiery one at that. I dove straight into the chaos and clarity that comes from burning everything down in your business when you know something just isn’t working anymore. You know that moment, when you’ve hit a wall, everything feels misaligned, and your gut is screaming, “Start over!” Yeah, we’ve all been there. But this episode wasn’t about the fire. It was about what happens after the smoke clears.

I walked through my own process of rebuilding from scratch and why, when you're pivoting hard, speed matters. You’ll hear me unapologetically reject the “move slow and be strategic” advice in favor of my favorite framework: move fast, break things, fix them, and test again. And again. And again. Because the best way to scale something that actually works is to stress-test it in real time.

I also pulled Anthony in to talk about what that rebuild can look like when you’ve got the right tools in your corner, specifically Digital Magic CRM. I don’t just recommend it, I live and build inside it daily. For both of us, having DMC as our foundation means we can pivot quickly, test offers, launch new ideas, and scale without getting stuck in the tech. I helped Anthony build his platform inside DMC, and you’ll hear how he’s been able to evolve it rapidly by using AI, GPT analysis, and feedback loops from real conversations. That’s how growth actually happens.

We also riffed on how GPT has completely transformed the way I do offer development, especially when it comes to testing content, comparing angles, and pulling insights I might have missed. AI isn't just a tool, it's a second brain if you use it right. I shared a few scenarios and walked through how I use GPT to test and validate pivot directions fast, because when it comes to entrepreneurship, momentum is everything.

This episode is for anyone who’s standing in the ashes of something they thought would work but didn’t, and they’re ready to build something bolder, cleaner, and smarter.

If you’re in burn-it-down mode or just itching for a smarter rebuild, this is your playbook. And no, it’s not easy, but I’m not here to sell you easy. I’m here to show you it’s worth it.

This week on The Queen of Automation, I sat down with Charlotte Lloyd, and if you’ve ever felt uncertain or uncomfortable about selling your services, this is the episode you need to hear.

Charlotte has spent over two decades in B2B sales, working with global giants like Danone, PepsiCo, and the World Bank. But what sets her apart is how she has translated that big-brand experience into simple, effective strategies for coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs who are navigating sales on their own.

We got into her journey from commission-only consulting with clients like the Financial Times to building a thriving business helping others master client acquisition. She shared how she moved to Spain, weathered the COVID lockdowns, and unintentionally went viral on LinkedIn by sharing real, relatable sales advice that people actually wanted. That momentum turned into her full-time business, Charlotte Lloyd Consulting, and the launch of her Client Acquisition Club.

We unpacked the difference between marketing and sales and why most business owners lean too heavily on content instead of conversations. Charlotte made a powerful case for why automation can't replace genuine human connection and how being good at sales doesn't mean being pushy or slick. It means knowing how to listen, respond, and build trust.

She also answered the question most founders are afraid to ask: how many people really follow through when they're told to do outreach? Her answer might not surprise you, but the insight that followed will.

This conversation is full of clarity, nuance, and actual strategy. If you're tired of the noise around “just create content and wait,” Charlotte offers a more grounded, actionable path forward.

And if you missed last week’s episode with Tim Jones, we went deep into digital storytelling, systems, and how creativity fits into automation. It’s a strong companion to this one.

If you're a founder, coach, or small business owner who wants a sales process that feels good and actually works, this conversation with Charlotte Lloyd is a must-listen.

Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn or head to charlottelloyd.com to learn more about her work and the Client Acquisition Club.

This episode might be one of my favorite conversations yet, because we dive headfirst into something every entrepreneur has dealt with: building something amazing, only to want to burn it all down three months later. Sound familiar? Yeah. You’re not alone. I’ve done it. Anthony’s done it. You’ve probably done it too. But here’s the thing, I don’t think that’s sabotage. I think that’s evolution.

I kick things off with a hilarious (and strangely relevant) story about my youngest son becoming the number one ranked professional air hockey player in Wisconsin. Yup. That’s a thing. And while it started off as just a funny mom moment, it quickly turned into a metaphor for entrepreneurship: you can turn anything into a money-making opportunity if you love it enough. But... it might not pay the bills. Passion projects are beautiful, but not everything we love will feed us, and that’s okay. You still need them. They’re fuel.

Then, Anthony and I get into the nitty gritty of what it really means to "burn it all down." The truth is, sometimes starting over is not sabotage. It’s a pivot. It’s iteration. It’s reinvention. If you’re like me, and you need stimulation and momentum to stay motivated, blowing things up might not be destruction. It might be clarity in motion.

We also get real about timelines. How long do you let something sit before you decide it’s not working? 30 days? 90 days? A year? And what if the thing that feels like a failure was just ahead of its time? I share my experience with “Neighborbee,” and how shutting it down wasn’t a failure, it just wasn’t the right time or built the right way. But the idea? Still fire. Still necessary. Still coming back.

This is the episode for you if you’ve ever second-guessed blowing up your business, questioned your need to change direction, or felt like maybe your pattern of reinvention was just self-sabotage. Spoiler: it’s probably not.

We talk dopamine, creative energy, how some of us need newness to stay engaged, and why the messiness of entrepreneurship is where the real magic lives.

If you’ve ever felt like you were the only one who kept wanting to throw the match on your own worK, you’re going to feel very seen in this one.

In this episode of The Queen of Automation, I got raw and honest about something that doesn’t get talked about enough, what happens when you screw up. After three solid years with a client I truly admired, I dropped the ball. We missed things, and they decided to move on. It stung hard, not just because they were paying clients, but because they’d become friends. Watching the brand we’d built together start to fall apart under bad automation and worse AI content was painful.

So I opened up about what to do when that happens, when you’re the problem. It’s easy to say “move on” or “put your big girl pants on,” but that doesn’t touch the part where your confidence takes a hit. I kept working, stayed professional, even helped them with tech stuff afterward just to make things right. And then, out of nowhere, they reached out saying it’s been terrible working with their new team. That moment gave me the chance to respond with honesty, not sales, to own the mistake, say I was sorry, and leave the door open.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever dropped the ball and felt that pit in their stomach afterward. I share how I handled it, what I learned, and why owning your mistakes is one of the strongest things you can do as a leader. Because being great at business isn’t about being perfect, it’s about how you handle it when you’re not.

At the end of the day, operations are only good when they work, and sometimes, they don’t work because of you. When that happens, own it, fix it, grow from it, and keep going.

We’re back, finally, and if I’m being honest, I forgot we were recording today until Anthony reminded me. It’s been a few weeks, and my brain’s been sprinting in a thousand directions as usual. But the second we hit record, it all came rushing back in the best possible way. This episode was one of those unfiltered conversations that starts off feeling casual and ends up hitting harder than you expected.

Anthony and I got deep into the disconnect between how fast our brains move and how painfully slow and linear the world around us expects us to be. If you’re neurodivergent, ADHD, autistic, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or all of the above, you already know what I’m talking about. That constant tension between how you think and how you’re expected to function. It’s exhausting, not because we’re incapable, but because the system we’re operating in wasn’t built for brains like ours.

What came out of this conversation was something I think a lot of us need to hear right now. It’s not about slowing down your brain. It’s about learning how to work with it instead of constantly fighting it. For me, that means surrounding myself with people who challenge me and support me, using things like vitamin patches to keep my dopamine where it needs to be, and leaning all the way into the power of focus, not fake productivity, not multitasking, but actual, intentional deep focus. One thing at a time. Not because I’m bad at multitasking, but because it’s a lie. And it’s breaking our brains.

We also touched on something that doesn’t get talked about enough, the way most tools and systems are designed to flatten thought complexity. They try to make everything so simple that it strips away the nuance. But the truth is, our complexity is where the brilliance lives. We’re not trying to reduce it, we’re trying to support it.

There were moments where I found myself saying things I didn’t even know I needed to hear. This one reminded me that just because I need to approach things differently doesn’t mean I’m doing it wrong. And if you’re navigating a world that constantly tries to compress your creativity into boxes that don’t fit, you’re not doing it wrong either.

It felt good to sit in that space with Anthony and just say it out loud, no script, no filters, just the truth.

Let me know what hit home for you. I think this one’s going to stick with a lot of people.