In this episode of Chronically Automated, I pull back the curtain on what I call “parallel universe planning.” If you’re neurodivergent like me, you’ll get this immediately. I’ve got one brain that’s a high-functioning, strategic, growth-hacking machine, the part of me that people love to hire, that solves massive problems in minutes and builds systems that scale. And then there’s the other one. The impulsive, emotionally reactive, chaotic version that shows up uninvited and wrecks all the carefully laid plans.

That push-pull between two mental realities creates more than confusion. It leads to real burnout. I’ll hyperfocus, go 500 percent on a project, build it out at lightning speed, and then crash so hard I can barely get out of bed. It’s a cycle I’ve lived over and over, and I’m finally learning how to design around it instead of trying to fight it.

Anthony joins me in this conversation, and while he doesn’t have an ADHD diagnosis, his experience in high-pressure sales mirrors a lot of the same patterns. We talk about the constant pressure, the crash, and what happens when your systems aren’t strong enough to carry you through those dips.

For me, automation and a small, trusted team have become non-negotiable. Without a CRM and processes in place, I’d be drowning in distractions. Systems aren’t just helpful, they’re survival. I need tools and workflows that can catch what my brain drops and protect the time and energy I do have.

This episode isn’t about “fixing” anything. It’s about honoring how we work, building support around it, and making smarter decisions that allow us to keep showing up without burning out. If you’ve ever felt like your brain is the CEO one day and the saboteur the next, this one’s for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Brand Built

Digital Magic CRM

In this episode of The Queen of Automation, I had the pleasure of talking with Alexandra, a fractional Chief Wellness Officer who is all about bringing the human element back into business. What I loved most about our conversation was her unapologetic focus on people over productivity. She’s out here reminding all of us that businesses don’t run without humans, and humans don’t run well when they’re burned out.

Alexandra and I got real about what it means to run a company in a world that’s obsessed with systems, scaling, and AI. Yes, we both love automation (obviously), but she hit on something I talk about a lot: if the founder is burned out, the business is already broken. Her take? We don’t need “work-life balance.” We need integration—a way of living and working where we stop pretending we’re two different people clocking in and out of each life.

She spoke about the evolution of society and how we’ve chased tech, productivity, and money, often at the expense of our mental and physical health. And it hit me hard because it’s exactly what I see in so many of the founders and small business owners I work with. The moment you believe that rest is weakness or slowing down means failure, you’re building something on a very shaky foundation.

This episode is a must-listen if you're feeling like your business is running you instead of the other way around, or if you just need the reminder that scaling doesn’t require suffering.

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn to dig deeper into how she helps founders and entrepreneurs prioritize sustainable success without sacrificing themselves in the process. She’s the strategist you want in your corner if you’re serious about scaling with intention, clarity, and well-being at the core.

Mentioned in this episode:

Digital Magic CRM

Brand Built

This episode was a really raw one for me. I opened up about something I see over and over again with my clients, and if I’m being honest, with myself too. It’s that feeling that our systems are broken, when in reality, what’s actually off is how we see ourselves.

Anthony and I talked through how chronically ill and neurodiverse entrepreneurs (hi, that’s us) often build schedules and systems for the version of ourselves we wish we were instead of the version we are right now. So then what happens? Burnout, abandoned workflows, guilt, and a whole lot of self-blame. And it sucks.

We shared a really honest moment from a few weeks ago where Anthony hit a wall with his system. He thought everything was broken, but it turned out he just needed a reset, to look at it from the lens of who he is now, not who he was three months ago. We talked through how to build systems that actually pivot with you, in real-time, without making you feel like a failure every time your day doesn’t go to plan.

I also talked about the importance of what I call “daily capacity checks.” Not the nonsense productivity hacks. I'm talking about real, practical strategies for navigating the chaos that is ADHD, chronic illness, or just running a business while being a whole-ass human. We’re not robots. We need systems that are flexible enough to meet us where we are.

And yes, we talked about Digital Magic CRM. Again. Because it works. The way we built it for Anthony gives him full control, pause automation, skip steps, move people around, no rigid pipelines, no pressure. It’s built around his life. That’s the goal.

We wrapped the episode diving into how powerful it is when you give yourself permission to stop forcing yourself to fit into a mold that was never designed for how your brain works. This is about building systems that support the actual you, the messy, brilliant, unpredictable you, not the Pinterest version of yourself who sticks to a perfect calendar.

So if you’ve ever felt like your system was failing, maybe give yourself some grace and ask: are you designing it for the real you?