LifePilot: Be the CEO of your life, not just your business!

Be honest. How are you actually using AI right now?If you're like most people, you're probably asking it questions, tweaking some copy, maybe getting it to write a caption or two. And that's a great start. But what if AI could actually do the work for you? Like, really do it. Read and sort your emails. Schedule your social posts. Rebuild your website. Research every single person in a room before you walk in.That's what my husband Joshua Vial has been building in our house for the last few years. And watching him do it has been equal parts inspiring and humbling. Every week I'd see him do something that made my jaw drop and I'd say, Josh, you have to come and tell people about this. So here we finally are.Josh has spent 25 years as a programmer, co-founded Dev Academy Aotearoa where he helped hundreds of people go from zero to landing their first job in tech, and co-founded FundSorter, an AI platform saving New Zealand charities up to 90% of the time they used to spend chasing grant funding. These days through Code With JV he runs courses and a newsletter helping real people cut through the noise and actually use AI in their work and lives. He is one of the most forward-thinking people I know. And I finally got him on the podcast.So if you've been meaning to get better at working with AI and want to tap into its potential, this is the episode to teach you how.What You'll Learn:Why thinking of AI as an "intelligence" is actually getting in your way, and what mental model works betterThe difference between Level 1 AI use (chat windows, copy paste) and Level 2, where AI has actual digital hands and does things for youWhy AI is really good at producing things that look good but aren't, and how to protect yourself from thatHow to start systematising your work so AI can genuinely take things off your plateHow Josh went from 2,000 unread emails across six inboxes to a fully AI managed system for almost nothingThe social media workflow that took him from barely posting to 130,000 LinkedIn impressions in a week

I need to be honest with you: I didn't enjoy my HYROX race last week.  Not one moment felt like I was “crushing it.” I was slower than I wanted to be, overheated, disappointed, and questioning myself more than once.And you know what? That makes it the most valuable thing I've done so far this year.This is the story of how a tough race taught me more about resilience, self-efficacy, and mental strength than any perfect performance ever could. It's about what happened when I debriefed with my AI coach ChatGPT, how the science of stress inoculation actually works,  and why doing hard physical things — especially when they don’t go to plan — can radically change how you show up in every other area of your life.If you’ve ever felt disappointed after something you worked hard for… or wondered whether pushing yourself physically is “worth it”, this episode will shift how you see challenge, confidence, and growth.What You'll Learn:Why the challenges that stretch you don’t always feel good in the moment and why they matter more because of itWhat HYROX actually is and why it's become a $140 million global phenomenon that makes "average people feel like athletes"Why this was the first event I've paid for that I genuinely didn't enjoy (and why that made it so valuable)How self-efficacy, stress inoculation, and generalized confidence actually work (backed by research from Albert Bandura)Why my brain learned more from struggle than it would have from a perfect race

Let’s be real: are you creating content everywhere but connecting with no one?Posting daily, showing up on multiple platforms, but your audience isn't growing. Your email list is stagnant. And the profit you thought would follow? It's not there.Here's the hard truth: you might be building your entire business on borrowed land.That's exactly what happened to today's guest, Jenny Melrose. She had 660,000 followers on Google+. Then one day, the platform shut down and she lost every single one of them. That painful lesson completely transformed how she builds audiences—and it's why she's here to share what actually works.Jenny is a former reading specialist turned marketing strategist, author of Influencer Entrepreneurs, and host of the Influencer Entrepreneurs podcast. She's been building online businesses since 2009 and has weathered every major shift in the digital landscape.In this conversation, we dive into her PACK framework for standing out authentically, why your personal brand is your greatest defense against AI, how to create one piece of content and repurpose it into multiple formats, and why your email list is the only audience you truly own.If you've ever felt invisible online despite showing up everywhere, or wondered how to use AI without sounding generic, this episode will change how you build your business.Get ready for systems, strategy, and the wake-up call you need about where you're investing your energy online.What You'll Learn:The PACK framework: Positioning, Authenticity, Confidence, and Kindness (and why each matters more than ever)How to find your unique positioning by looking at your real life experiences and the problems people already come to you forWhy complete flexibility in your business will actually drive you insane (and what to do instead)The content creation system that starts with keyword research and ends with SEO-optimized blog posts, podcast episodes, and YouTube videosHow to use AI effectively: as a brainstorming assistant, outline creator, and editor, without losing your unique voiceHow to stop comparing yourself to that 35-year-old making millions (and be kind to yourself instead)

I almost deleted the email that changed my year.There it was, sitting in my inbox while Josh and I were testing out our new standing desks in our Bali villa, a speaking invitation to Saudi Arabia that looked way too good to be true. And honestly? I thought it was a scam. But this is the story of how that "sketchy" email turned into me standing on stage as the only female keynote speaker at one of Saudi Arabia's largest entrepreneurship events, flying business class, staying at the Ritz Carlton, and getting paid to share a message I deeply believe in.More than that, it's about what happens when you plant seeds without knowing where they'll grow, when you show up with intention even when no one's watching, and when you stay open to possibilities that sound impossible. Because the real twist? The reason I got invited traced back to someone I'd spoken to six years ago and a manifestation practice I started at the beginning of 2025.If you’ve ever wondered how big opportunities actually happen, or felt called to think bigger about what’s possible for you in your work and life, this one’s for you.What You'll Learn:How a random email in my inbox turned into a dream speaking opportunity (and why I thought it was a scam)What Saudi Arabia is really like in 2025, the massive transformation happening, what surprised me most, and what I got totally wrongWhy being the only female keynote speaker felt like both a privilege and a responsibilityHow someone I spoke to six years ago became the reason I got invited and what that teaches us about showing up authenticallyWhat it's really like to speak on an international stage Why this trip reminded me that the world is more open, more curious, and more interconnected than we think

I'm about to tell you something that might sting a little: in about three weeks, you're probably gonna be doing the exact same thing you did all last year.I know. You've got your goals. You've got your intentions. You're ready for a new year, new start, new you.But unless you've got a methodology that actually works, that niggly feeling you have right now? It's probably right.Here's what I realized after years of hitting some goals but always ending up back at baseline: I wasn't changing who I was in order to get what I wanted. And without that, nothing was ever gonna fundamentally shift.That’s why, I'm sharing the Annual Anchors Methodology, the framework that completely transformed how I approach my year. Instead of chasing 47 different goals, I focus on three foundational anchors that ground me in what actually matters. And it really works!.After listening, you'll understand why being comes before doing, how to choose your three most important priorities for the year, and you'll have a concrete roadmap to make this your most intentional year yet (without burning out or giving up by February).What You'll Learn:Why most goal-setting fails (hint: you're skipping the most critical step)The be → do → have framework that actually gets resultsHow I chose my three Annual Anchors for 2026 (and why my business isn't one of them)The exact structure: one anchor + one "so that" statement + three committed actions + a 90-day habit trackerWhy breaking up with my phone is already changing everything in just two weeksThe difference between reacting and responding, especially in your closest relationshipsWhat it means to prioritize intuition over hustle this year

Freedom doesn’t come from having endless flexibility.It comes from knowing what matters and protecting it with intention.In this episode of the LifePilot Podcast, I sit down with Elizabeth Grace Saunders, one of the world’s leading time management experts and the founder of Real Life E®, for a grounded, honest conversation about time, boundaries, and self-worth.Elizabeth and I have known each other for over a decade — long before either of us were married or parents — and throughout the years, I’ve watched her quietly and consistently redefine what time management actually means. Not hustle. Not optimisation. But peace, presence, and intentional living.In this conversation, Elizabeth shares how she became a time management coach by first fixing her own unhealthy relationship with work, why most entrepreneurs struggle more once they leave corporate life, and how planning ahead is the thing that actually creates flexibility, not restriction.We also dive into motherhood, shifting capacity, lowering expectations without lowering standards, and navigating the rise of AI without losing your voice, creativity, or sense of worth.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by freedom, guilty when you rest, or stuck reacting instead of leading your life, this episode will bring clarity, calm, and perspective.What You'll Learn:Why the flexibility of entrepreneurship often drives us insane (and what to do about it)The "infinity pool" model that will revolutionize how you think about your timeThe top three time management challenges almost everyone faces but thinks are unique to themHow to translate your values into concrete actions on your calendar (not just vague intentions)What having two young children has taught a time management expert about lowering expectations and radical prioritizationThe surprisingly emotional reality of running a business in the age of AI (and why your human value matters more than ever)

I'm about to tell you something that might sting a little: you've been planning your years completely backwards. And it's costing you everything.Here's what I see every single January, and maybe you'll recognize yourself in this: You're setting bold revenue goals, mapping out launches, planning content calendars. It all looks perfect on paper. You're ambitious. You're strategic. You're ready to make things happen.But by March? You're exhausted. By June? You're behind. And by September, you're lying awake at night wondering why this business you built to give you freedom feels like it's running you instead of supporting the life you actually want to live.Sound familiar?Here's the thing: after years of doing this work myself and with hundreds of ambitious women just like you, I've discovered something radical. The problem isn't that you're not disciplined enough. It's not that you're not working hard enough. The problem is the planning methodology itself.We've been doing this backwards. We plan business first. And then we try to squeeze our lives into whatever's left over.In this episode, I'm sharing part of  my framework from my Plan Your Ideal Freedom Year workshop, the methodology that's changed everything for me and the women I work with. And it starts with a simple but powerful flip: what if you built your business around your life instead of fitting your life around your business?If you're in your 40s or 50s like me, juggling aging parents, kids launching into adulthood, your own health becoming more complex, and a business that seems to demand more every single year,  this isn't just a nice idea. This approach is necessary. It's how you stop optimizing and start actually living.What You'll Learn:Why everything you've been taught about business planning is backwards (and why it's leading you straight to burnout, resentment, and a business that consumes your life instead of supporting it)The 6-step reverse planning methodology I use to claim my life first, then build my business around my actual capacity, not some fantasy version where nothing goes wrongHow to choose your word for the year that becomes your North Star (mine is "golden" for 2026, and I'll tell you exactly why)The non-negotiable first step that most ambitious women skip and why skipping it is stealing your energy, creativity, and joyWhy women in their 40s and 50s must plan differently. Your energy, responsibilities, and wellbeing require a new strategic approach.The holistic life planning process I created with LifePilot to make sure your health, relationships, and personal growth don't get sacrificed on the altar of business success

We don’t start businesses so we can work nonstop.We start them for freedom, flexibility, creativity, and time with the people we love.And yet… so many women find themselves doing everything but that.In this week’s episode of the LifePilot Podcast, I’m joined by Marisa Twentyman, founder of Dirty Copy — a personality-packed copywriting studio and home of the viral Dirty Chats podcast.What makes her story so refreshing is not just how fast she built her business… but the life she built around it.After leaving teaching, teaching herself copywriting through YouTube, working during nap times, and rebranding into the cheeky, bold identity she's now known for, Marisa grew quickly. Instead of scaling into burnout, she chose something radical: She designed her business to support 3.5 months living in France with her family. She worked on her terms - a few client sessions, one website project - woven seamlessly into lakeside afternoons, long French dinners with locals, learning the language, and building a life around what mattered most.If you’ve ever felt the slow pull of a life that once felt like freedom but now feels like a quiet prison… this conversation is for you. Not to convince you to sell everything. But to remind you: you already have the right to imagine something deeper. And sometimes, all it takes is the courage to take the first step, even without a map.What You'll Learn:How Marisa went from high school English teacher to booked-out copywriter What's actually selling in the course landscape right now after her recent launch sold 3 courses versus 77 in one weekendHow she made three and a half months in France financially possible just 18 months into her businessHer honest struggle with being a goal-driven mom entrepreneur versus societal expectations of motherhoodThe mindset shift that helps her post consistently on social media even when she never feels like it