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 Sucre 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.