The Queen of Automation

She had the title. The salary. The corporate credibility.And she walked away from it anyway.In this episode, I sit down with Lisa McPhee, a business coach who helps high-achieving women make the leap from corporate to coaching without losing their minds in the process.We get into the real stuff: the self-doubt that hits when you go from "expert in the room" to "nobody knows who I am yet." Why your pricing has to match your belief in yourself. And why automation should never be your first move (even though everyone wants it to be).If you've ever felt successful on paper but exhausted in real life, this one's for you.In this episode, we cover:→ Why high achievers struggle the most when starting their own business→ How to define what you actually want (not what you think you should want)→ The role of data collection before you automate anything→ Why community is non-negotiable for entrepreneurs→ How to build confidence by recognizing what you've already done→ When to bring in AI and technology (and when to wait)Connect with Lisa McPhee: [Insert LinkedIn URL] [Insert Website URL]Connect with Meghan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanmdonnellyWebsite: https://thequeenofautomation.com

In this episode of the Queen of Automation podcast, I sat down with Allison Ditmer, and honestly, this conversation hit on so many layers of what it really looks like to build a business that actually supports your life instead of consuming it. Allison joined me from cold, snowy Ohio, which immediately bonded us because Midwest winters are not for the weak, and we kicked things off talking about her background, her career pivot, and how she found her way into building a LinkedIn-driven business that actually works.She spent 15 years in the corporate world in digital marketing, working closely with brand teams, strategy, and large-scale websites. She talked openly about what it’s like to get comfortable in corporate, how predictable it can feel, and why that predictability can be both a safety net and a trap. COVID became a major turning point for her, especially while juggling back-to-back calls at home with young kids, and she realized she wanted something different. Not a side hustle. Not a perfectly mapped plan. Just something that gave her more freedom and control over her time.What I loved about Allison’s story is that she didn’t leave corporate with a perfectly polished business idea. She left because she knew the structure she was in no longer fit the life she wanted. From there, she built a business around LinkedIn, helping executives and fractional leaders turn their presence into a real client-generating machine, not just content for content’s sake. We talked a lot about how LinkedIn has changed, why authenticity actually matters now, and how building relationships beats spamming people with DMs every single time.We also dug into work-life balance, or as I like to call it, the myth of work-life balance. Allison shared how she thinks more in terms of alignment than balance, designing days that work for her energy, her family, and her business. We talked about burnout, permission to rest when you hit that wall, and why beating yourself up for being tired never actually helps. This was one of those conversations that feels validating if you’re a parent, a founder, or honestly just a human trying to do too much at once.This episode is really about redefining success on your own terms, building a business that fits your real life, and using platforms like LinkedIn intentionally instead of letting them run you. Allison’s approach is grounded, practical, and refreshingly honest, and I think anyone navigating a career pivot, building a personal brand, or trying to reclaim time will take something meaningful away from this conversation. Connect with Allison on LinkedIn to keep up with her work and insights.

This episode felt like the natural follow-up to the latest Chronically Automated drop, where I walked everyone through my end-of-year reset and how I rebuilt the backend of my business so I can actually take time off during the holidays without spiraling. And then of course, in true neurodivergent fashion, I admitted that even when the systems are perfect, my brain still gives me the finger and insists on freaking out anyway.So today, Anthony and I sat down and just… got honest about it. The holidays hit differently when you're a business owner, especially when your brain refuses to shut up. I talked about how I try to automate everything, clean up my workflows, tighten my operations, and prep for rest, and yet somehow still feel the magnetic pull of notifications like I'm missing something catastrophic. Meanwhile, Anthony shared this whole chapter about accidentally giving up drinking and how that one shift changed his energy, his anxiety, his mornings, and honestly his entire baseline. It was such a good moment because you could hear the difference in how he shows up for his business now compared to a year ago.We went all the way into the reality that no matter how many systems we build, we can’t automate our brains. The panic still shows up. The fear of stepping away still shows up. The “no one is working Christmas week but my brain is convinced the world will implode without me” still shows up. And then we started riffing on hops, gluten, inflammation, processed food, why our bodies riot after 30, and how much your lifestyle actually impacts your ability to run a business without feeling like you're crumbling from the inside out.And honestly, that was the heart of the episode: the intersection between being a founder, being neurodivergent, trying to rest, trying to be a person, and still showing up for the people and business you love. Nothing polished. Nothing Pinterest-perfect. Just real founders talking about the mess that comes with trying to unplug when your nervous system refuses to do what you tell it.If you’ve ever prepped for time off and still felt guilty, anxious, wired, or weirdly convinced that five minutes away from your inbox will ruin your entire life, this is the episode you needed.

In the latest episode of The Queen of Automation, I jumped into one of the most unexpectedly delightful conversations with Steven Puri, and honestly, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to sit two chairs down from Steven freakin’ Spielberg in a private DreamWorks story meeting, this one is your jam.Steven came in hot with the kind of résumé that makes you blink twice. Senior executive at multiple film studios. Tech founder. Twenty million raised. Three companies. One exit. Two failures. The whole beautiful, messy journey. And then he pivots into this chapter of his life where he’s helping high performers get their time and focus back through The Sukha Company… which, you know, is basically my love language.We talk about DreamWorks, and not in the glossy “Hollywood magic” way. Steven shares what it was actually like to work inside one of the only studios still run by creatives, where the mandate wasn't “make it cheaper,” it was “make it 1% better.” And of course, I had to ask if he ever had that fan-boy moment. His answer? Absolute gold. The man can sit next to Brad Pitt and feel nothing, but mention Gandhi or MLK and he’s floored. And that opened a whole door for us about impact, purpose, and what actually matters when you’re building a life.Then we got into the transition, how he went from film sets and alien-movie story meetings to building tech companies and eventually designing tools to help people get into flow states. The through-line is wild: two engineer parents, coding as a kid, USC, the rise of digital film… and then this fascination with how the highest performers stay stable, grounded, and burnout-free even when the stakes are massive.And yes, we eventually got to my favorite topic: what it really takes to manage your time, your brain, and your energy when you’re building something big. Steven and I are totally aligned on this idea that productivity isn’t about squeezing more into your day, it’s about actually being in control of your day. You’ll hear the two of us bounce back and forth about creativity, systems, life design, and why everyone should stop pretending they’re not allowed to have a freaking fangirl moment when something or someone lights you up.This episode is just fun. It’s insightful. It’s a little chaotic in the best way. And if you need a reminder that your career can have multiple lifetimes, and that your day can get a whole lot easier when you stop fighting your own brain, you’re going to love this one.

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.

This episode is for every founder who thinks automation is the shortcut to scaling. Spoiler alert: it’s not.I’ve spent the last 20+ years building systems, real ones. I’ve tested every tool, seen the hype cycles, and cleaned up more broken automation than I can count. So when I say most people are automating chaos and calling it “growth,” I say that with love… and receipts.Automation isn’t some shiny magic wand. It’s a system. And systems don’t work when the foundation is trash.Inside this episode, I get real about what automation can actually do for you, and where it’ll burn you if you’re not careful. This isn’t me bashing tech. I love automation. I built a business on it. But I also know how dangerous it is when people start automating just to feel productive. Automating bad data, broken customer journeys, or slapping together tools with zero strategy? That’s not efficiency. That’s digital quicksand.I’m not here to sell you another AI tool. I’m here to help you think like a systems leader, because that’s what it actually takes to reclaim your time, streamline your ops, and scale without chaos.If you’re automating just to keep up with what everyone else is doing, you’re already behind. But if you’re ready to use automation to build something intentional, sustainable, and smart?Then you’re exactly where you need to be.

In this episode of The Queen of Automation, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with executive leadership coach Becky Henderson. If you know me, you know I spend a lot of time in the weeds of operations, systems, automation, and all the tangible pieces of a business. But Becky works on the most important system of all: your brain.We dove headfirst into what it really means to reprogram your internal operating system. Not the software kind, but the belief systems, the mindset patterns, and the stories we’ve been carrying since we were kids. Becky’s whole philosophy is that being drives doing. You can’t hustle or hack your way into the kind of leadership that feels aligned, calm, and powerful if you’re operating from old programming that doesn’t serve you anymore.What struck me the most was how Becky makes these intangible things feel so practical. She talked about how high-achieving founders often hit a wall, not because they’re not capable, but because they’re still running on beliefs that are no longer true. Maybe they never were. And when she said, what feels familiar isn’t necessarily true, it landed hard.Things got personal, too. I didn’t expect to, but I ended up getting real about my own ADHD diagnosis and how that shaped the way I saw myself, especially in my 20s and 30s when I was trying to climb the corporate ladder, raise kids, and prove that I was normal enough to keep up. Becky flipped that narrative on its head in real time and gave me a powerful reframe that I know will stay with me and hopefully with you too.This conversation wasn’t about productivity hacks or quick wins. It was about reclaiming your energy, your focus, and your identity so that your systems, internal and external, work better. If you’ve ever found yourself burning out while chasing success, or wondering why nothing ever feels quite enough, you’ll feel seen in this episode.Becky’s work is that rare blend of truth-telling, emotional intelligence, and strategy that every founder needs in their back pocket. It’s not therapy. It’s not coaching in the traditional sense. It’s a total recalibration.If you’re a founder or executive and you’ve been feeling like something’s off, even though everything on paper looks great, this is the episode you didn’t know you needed.To learn more about Becky’s work, connect with her on LinkedIn, She’s someone you’ll want in your corner if you’re ready to build from a place of alignment, vitality, and clarity. Her book, The Art of Becoming, is one to watch. It's all about reprogramming the inner operating system that drives your leadership and your life.

In the latest episode of The Queen of Automation, I  got to sit down and chat with Jacob Pegs, a conversation two years in the making. We’ve been orbiting each other online, commenting, sharing, and supporting each other's content on LinkedIn, but this was our first real face-to-face (well, Zoom-to-Zoom) chat, and it did not disappoint.Jacob is one of those rare operators who actually lives what he preaches. He walked away from a half-million-dollar agency not because it wasn’t working, but because it wasn’t working for him. We got real about what burnout really looks like, and how building something successful doesn’t mean it’s sustainable, especially when you’re doing it at the expense of your creativity, your energy, and your identity.He shared his journey of moving from proposal-writing and endless calls to something radically simple and sustainable: one offer, one post, one email. That’s the Modern Maker model, and let me tell you, it just works. His systems are elegant, simple, and human. They reflect a founder who actually wants to live the life he’s building. And now with a daughter in the picture, Jacob’s “Dad Funnel” concept hits even harder.We talked about designing a lifestyle-first business, and what it actually takes to unlearn the toxic hustle narrative that keeps founders locked in cages of their own creation. I opened up about my own experiences too, working in SaaS, running ops for multiple companies, managing my own tech business, and how even with 20+ years of experience, you still need people in your corner to bounce ideas off of and keep you grounded.This episode is for every founder, ops nerd, and tech-savvy entrepreneur who’s wondering if there’s a simpler way. Spoiler alert: there is. And Jacob’s doing it brilliantly.If you’re building your own thing and feel like you're drowning in complexity, you're going to love this episode. You’ll walk away with a permission slip to make your business boring, in the best possible way.Connect with Jacob Pegs on LinkedIn to see exactly how he’s rewriting the rules of simplicity, systems, and showing up fully as yourself. 

In this episode of Chronically Automated, Anthony and I dive deep into how nonlinear minds (like mine) are shaping the future of systems, tech, and workflow design, and let me tell you, it's a ride.This one was personal. We expanded on last week’s episode, where we talked about my habit of spotting patterns and thinking ten steps ahead (even if those ten steps don’t always happen in a straight line). I opened up about how my brain doesn’t operate in a linear way, it time-hops. I jump from today to five years ago to three days from now, and somehow it all ties together when I’m building systems, mapping workflows, or implementing tech. I call it “non-chronological bursts of processing,” and if you’ve ever experienced hyperfocus followed by complete apathy, you’ll get it.Anthony challenged me in the best way. He asked how I manage to be strategic and systems-driven while operating in such a chaotic creative flow. Spoiler alert: it is chaotic, but it works. We talked about ADHD, parenting neurodiverse kids, and how understanding your brain's operating system changes the game, especially when building a business that doesn’t follow the traditional playbook.We also got into the difference between order and productivity. Just because something is in order doesn’t mean it’s actually moving the needle. I shared how I attack my daily task list based on ROI, not in the monetary sense, but in terms of what’s going to move me closer to my big three goals. The task list always ends up rearranged, and that’s intentional. Because linear productivity is a myth for most of us. And trying to force your brain into that mold? Wasted energy.This episode is for the builders who think sideways. The ones who feel like they’re operating in chaos, but are actually ahead of their time. If that’s you, you’re not broken, you’re just not wired like the old system. And maybe that’s exactly what makes you the one who’s going to change it.

This week on the Queen of Automation podcast, I finally sat down with Raja Sampathi. If you don’t know him yet, you will soon. He’s an ex-Deloitte consultant turned AI strategist, but that barely scratches the surface. Raja is one of the few people out there bridging the gap between AI implementation and actual human leadership. He’s not just talking about the tools. He’s talking about the people who are supposed to use them and why they’re frozen in fear, stuck in confusion, or completely overwhelmed by where to even start.This conversation was powerful because it pulled the curtain back on a very real issue in the world of AI and automation. People want the results, but they’re not building the habits or communication skills to get there. Raja’s approach focuses on what’s often ignored, the internal mindset and leadership gaps that keep companies from ever seeing an ROI. He’s not selling hype. He’s helping leaders build clarity, calm, and confidence so they can actually make strategic moves with AI instead of just reacting to it.We also talked about the therapy bot he built. Not just what it does, but how he trained it, why it works, and what makes it different from the thousands of generic GPT clones out there. It all comes back to quality input. If your prompt is vague, rushed, or poorly thought through, your output is going to reflect that. The good stuff happens when you treat the tool like a collaborator, not a vending machine.This episode ties back to what I always say. Tech only works when it works. And it only works when you train it to serve a specific purpose. If you’re throwing tools at problems without clarity or communication, you’re going to waste time, money, and energy. Raja and I unpack what it actually looks like to approach AI with intention and how the right mix of executive coaching, automation, and strategy can move the needle faster than any shiny new platform.Connect with Raja on LinkedIn to see how he's helping leaders approach AI with less fear and more clarity. Tell him the Queen of Automation sent you.

On the latest episode of Chronically Automated, Anthony and I went full throttle into something that lives rent-free in my brain: the way neurodivergent business owners, especially those of us with ADHD, build pattern-based systems that become the backbone of how we operate and survive in business.We talked about how our brains are literally wired to anticipate chaos and find order before the rest of the room even realizes something is shifting. I broke down my pattern loop: spot, validate, track, automate, act, and how it connects directly to how I build businesses, processes, and even manage my household. If you’ve ever found yourself automating in your head before you’ve even written it down, this one’s going to feel like home.Anthony shared this super raw story about how back in 2002, way before tech culture was mainstream, he tried to launch a hyperlocal communication platform right after living near Ground Zero post-9/11. That platform was essentially what Nextdoor became, except 20 years earlier. Hearing him talk about trying to build something like that in a world without Zapier or Make, no off-the-shelf tools, no developers, just vision, really hit hard.We also riffed on burnout in a way that most people don’t talk about, how neurodivergent folks can burn out without realizing it because we’ve normalized high-stimulation environments and don’t notice the fatigue until it’s too late. And why we default to building automation and systems not just because it’s smart business, but because our brains literally need the relief from constant overload.This episode is for you if you feel like you're always on, if you’ve been told you move too fast, or if you’ve ever tried to reverse-engineer your own burnout.Let’s be real. Automating laundry might still be out of reach for now, but building systems to reclaim your time, energy, and actual brain function is something we can do. And we’re talking all about it.

This episode is all about getting your time and focus back without adding another tool to your stack. I’m walking you through three simple switches you can flip inside Gmail, Google Calendar, and Slack that will instantly cut down distractions and stop the nonstop notification chaos.These aren’t hacks. They’re built-in features most people don’t even know exist. I’m showing you how to train your existing systems to actually support deep work instead of interrupting it every five minutes. You’ll hear exactly how I set up my own tools to stay in flow, stay on task, and stop the swirl of context switching that wrecks productivity.If your brain’s been feeling fried by 10am or you’re constantly pulled in a hundred directions before lunch, this episode is for you.We’re not adding more. We’re turning down the noise.I promise, fewer pings, more done.

In the latest episode of The Queen of Automation, I sat down with Jon Weiskopf, a brilliant former Apple engineer turned real estate investor who’s building an empire by rethinking everything we thought we knew about the industry. His journey from racing lawnmowers in Pennsylvania to running global engineering projects for Apple is wild enough. But what’s even more powerful is how he walked away from all of it to reclaim his time, rebuild his purpose, and build a business on his terms.We talked about burnout, ambition, and the myth of work-life balance, especially when you're used to high-performance environments like Silicon Valley. Jon got brutally honest about the toll of 100-hour workweeks, parenting during a pandemic, and the shift that happened when he realized he’d spent 20 years building real estate but never owning any of it. That moment changed everything.What really stood out in our conversation was Jon’s ability to blend hardcore engineering thinking with practical entrepreneurship. He’s building systems and processes for his real estate business that pull directly from his time leading projects at Apple. Except now, he’s the boss. We dug into why owning your time is the real currency, and how automation, operational clarity, and delegation are the tools every entrepreneur needs to build sustainably.This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a “successful” career that no longer fits. Jon’s story is proof that it’s never too late to pivot. Sometimes your biggest leap comes right after you burn it all down and start again, smarter, simpler, and on your own damn terms.Connect with Jon on LinkedIn to follow his journey and get inspired by the systems he's building from the ground up.