May 3, 2025 • 8 mins
You don’t need more motivation. You need a system. In this powerful and personal episode, Dr. Kimberly N. West, The AI Doctor, shares the moment that changed everything: her birthday weekend, a deep depression, and the decision to finally activate the AI systems she had built but never used. What followed wasn’t just a celebration, it was clarity. It was peace. And it was proof that what you actually need isn’t more hustle… it’s structure. You’ll learn: What to do when burnout creeps in The five things every entrepreneur needs to install NOW Why AI without strategy is just noise How to create a business that supports you even when life doesn't This episode isn’t about fluff. It’s a call to build the systems that will carry you when motivation can’t.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to the AI-Powered Entrepreneur, where
AI meets strategy and systems.
I'm your host, Dr.
Kim, also known as the AIDoctor, technologist, business
strategist, and the woman who'sbeen making AI make sense long
before it was trendy.
If you're tired of spinning yourwheels, tired of taking course
(00:23):
after course with nothing toshow for it, you're in the right
place.
Here, we don't chase hacks.
We build systems that scale.
Every Tuesday and Friday, I'mserving you real strategies,
AI-powered execution plans andno-fluff conversations to help
you automate smarter, marketstronger and reclaim your time.
You don't need another AI class.
(00:43):
You need a digital prescriptionfor growth.
Let's get to work.
Welcome to the AI-PoweredEntrepreneur.
I'm Dr.
Kimberly N.
West, also known as the AIDoctor.
Today, we're cutting straight tothe truth what you actually need
to scale a business with peace,clarity, and power.
(01:05):
Hold up.
When you say what you actuallyneed, you're talking about
skipping all the unnecessaryfluff, right?
Exactly.
None of the overhyped shinyobject distractions.
I mean the essentials, the corestrategies that actually move
the needle.
Let me tell you about a momentwhen this became laser clear for
me.
Oh, this sounds juicy.
(01:26):
Spill it.
So it was my birthday weekend2022, but it didn't feel like a
celebration.
I was in Atlanta temporarily atthe time because I had to love
my husband through a healthissue.
It was overwhelming to say theleast.
Wait, wait.
You're juggling caregiving, yourthree businesses, hospital
visits, advocating for yourhubby, and what, life?
(01:50):
Like, how did you even function?
I won't lie, it was tough.
But in a moment like that, yourealize real quick what's
priority and what's noise.
Here's the thing.
Making one small but impactfulshift gave me back hours of my
time.
Hours I desperately needed forboth him and myself.
Okay, now you've got to tell us.
What was the magic move?
(02:10):
It was automation.
Using the right tools andprocesses meant that in 30
minutes, I could knock out tasksthat usually took me five hours.
Five hours! Whoa, that's aserious flip.
Right?
When you're up against the wall,you don't have the luxury to
waste time.
It all starts with figuring outwhere to streamline.
To, you know, stop doing thethings that aren't necessary.
And focus on what actuallymatters.
(02:33):
And learning how to change focuschanged everything for me.
It wasn't just about savinghours.
It was about reclaiming controlin the chaos.
So here's what I want you totake away.
When everything feels like it'sspinning out of control, you've
got to focus on what actuallymatters.
And Nova, I'm not just talkingabout priorities.
I mean, carving out time forwhat's essential.
(02:55):
Right.
Not just time management.
You're talking about lifemanagement.
Big difference.
Exactly.
It's about building systems thatwork for you, not against you.
You know, most entrepreneurswaste so much energy chasing a
million tasks that don't evenmove the needle.
Don't remind me.
Inbox, zero obsession, endlessto-do lists.
Exactly.
I see it all the time.
(03:15):
People are out here runningtheir business like it's
survival mode instead ofbuilding something sustainable.
And honestly, it doesn't have tobe that way.
So what's the fix?
Like, what do we actually need?
Break it down.
First, simplicity.
You need to strip it all back,figure out the core of your
business.
What activities are genuinelyproducing results?
Everything else, it's justnoise.
(03:36):
Okay, but separating the signalfrom the noise, that's the hard
part, isn't it?
It is, but it's doable.
You start by asking yourself onesimple question.
Is this helping me get closer tomy goals?
If it isn't, you need todelegate it, automate it, or let
it go completely.
Like I said, for me, automationwas the game changer.
It's why I preach it so much.
(03:57):
It's not just a tool.
It's a mindset.
Wait, mindset from automation?
Isn't it just about saving time?
That's part of it, for sure.
But it's more about shiftingyour energy.
Automation allows you to stepout of the weeds and, you know,
actually think like a CEO tofocus on strategy, customers,
the big picture.
Ah, I see it now.
It's like freeing your brainfrom all the tiny details
(04:19):
dragging you down.
Exactly.
And here's the kicker.
Not everything needs you.
Some things, they just need aprocess, not your focus.
And when you embrace that,that's when the real
transformation happens.
All right.
So we've talked about themindset shift with automation
and how it can transformeverything.
But now I'm curious, what arethe actual steps we need to take
(04:39):
to make this happen?
Good question.
For anyone listening, here's thebreakdown.
Step one, audit your business.
Take a hard, honest look at whatyou're doing day to day.
And I mean everything.
Evaluate which tasks, systems,and processes are truly
contributing to your growthversus what's just keeping you
busy.
So basically, figure out what'sa waste of time and cut it,
(05:01):
right?
Exactly.
But don't just stop there.
Once you've audited, step two isto map out the customer journey.
Ask yourself, what do mycustomers need from me at every
step and how am I deliveringthat?
This is where you pinpoint gapsin efficiency or experience.
Okay, I got to stop you there.
This step feels big.
Like how does someone not getoverwhelmed doing this?
(05:22):
It can feel big, but it doesn'thave to be complicated.
Break it down into moments, whenthey first find you, when they
buy, when they get what theypurchased.
Just focus on one step at atime.
Which brings me to step three,simplify your tech stack.
Oh, now you're speaking mylanguage.
Simplify that tech.
No more juggling a hundred apps,right?
(05:42):
Exactly.
You don't need five differentsystems to do one job.
If your tools aren't integrated,they're probably slowing you
down.
Find one system or a set oftools that work seamlessly
together and let them do theheavy lifting for you.
All right, so let's keep itreal.
What's the next move?
Step four, start with onesystem.
I know it's tempting to try tofix everything at once, but
(06:05):
focus on improving one processfirst.
Whether it's automating youronboarding, streamlining your
emails, or upgrading your CRM,pick one thing and commit to it.
Right.
Like don't overwhelm yourselftrying to do it all.
Baby steps.
Exactly.
Which brings me to the finalstep.
Step five, commit to execution.
(06:25):
This is where people often falloff.
You've got to actually use thesystems you set up.
It's not enough to just have thetech in place.
You need to make it part of yourdaily routine.
Preach.
Automation doesn't work if youdon't use it.
All right.
So quick recap for ourlisteners.
Love it.
Anything else you want to leavethe audience with, Dr.
(07:08):
Kim?
Just this, you've got what ittakes.
Building systems doesn't meangiving up control.
It means designing your businessto work for you, not the other
way around.
It's not about perfection.
It's about progress.
Start small, start somewhere,and just start.
And on that note, that's a wrap,y'all.
Thanks for hanging with us onthe AI-powered entrepreneur.
(07:30):
Next time, we'll dive deeperinto this mindset that helps
make the pivot.
It's been real, and we'll catchyou next time.
Thanks for tuning in to the AIPowered Entrepreneur.
If today's episode got youthinking bigger, moving
differently, or ready to buildsmarter, do me a favor.
(07:50):
Subscribe, leave a review, andmost importantly, take action.
Don't just learn about AI.
Build with it.
Scale with it.
Join the free Facebook group,The Business of Artificial
Intelligence, or get on our MindMeld wait list if you're ready
to roll up your sleeves andfinally automate the right way.
New episodes drop every two I'mDr.
(08:13):
Kim, the AI doctor.
Now let's get to work.
Welcome to the AI-Powered Entrepreneur, where
AI meets strategy and systems.
I'm your host, Dr.
Kim, also known as the AIDoctor, technologist, business
strategist, and the woman who'sbeen making AI make sense long
before it was trendy.
If you're tired of spinning yourwheels, tired of taking course
(00:23):
after course with nothing toshow for it, you're in the right
place.
Here, we don't chase hacks.
We build systems that scale.
Every Tuesday and Friday, I'mserving you real strategies,
AI-powered execution plans andno-fluff conversations to help
you automate smarter, marketstronger and reclaim your time.
You don't need another AI class.
(00:43):
You need a digital prescriptionfor growth.
Let's get to work.
Welcome to the AI-PoweredEntrepreneur.
I'm Dr.
Kimberly N.
West, also known as the AIDoctor.
Today, we're cutting straight tothe truth what you actually need
to scale a business with peace,clarity, and power.
(01:05):
Hold up.
When you say what you actuallyneed, you're talking about
skipping all the unnecessaryfluff, right?
Exactly.
None of the overhyped shinyobject distractions.
I mean the essentials, the corestrategies that actually move
the needle.
Let me tell you about a momentwhen this became laser clear for
me.
Oh, this sounds juicy.
(01:26):
Spill it.
So it was my birthday weekend2022, but it didn't feel like a
celebration.
I was in Atlanta temporarily atthe time because I had to love
my husband through a healthissue.
It was overwhelming to say theleast.
Wait, wait.
You're juggling caregiving, yourthree businesses, hospital
visits, advocating for yourhubby, and what, life?
(01:50):
Like, how did you even function?
I won't lie, it was tough.
But in a moment like that, yourealize real quick what's
priority and what's noise.
Here's the thing.
Making one small but impactfulshift gave me back hours of my
time.
Hours I desperately needed forboth him and myself.
Okay, now you've got to tell us.
What was the magic move?
(02:10):
It was automation.
Using the right tools andprocesses meant that in 30
minutes, I could knock out tasksthat usually took me five hours.
Five hours! Whoa, that's aserious flip.
Right?
When you're up against the wall,you don't have the luxury to
waste time.
It all starts with figuring outwhere to streamline.
To, you know, stop doing thethings that aren't necessary.
And focus on what actuallymatters.
(02:33):
And learning how to change focuschanged everything for me.
It wasn't just about savinghours.
It was about reclaiming controlin the chaos.
So here's what I want you totake away.
When everything feels like it'sspinning out of control, you've
got to focus on what actuallymatters.
And Nova, I'm not just talkingabout priorities.
I mean, carving out time forwhat's essential.
(02:55):
Right.
Not just time management.
You're talking about lifemanagement.
Big difference.
Exactly.
It's about building systems thatwork for you, not against you.
You know, most entrepreneurswaste so much energy chasing a
million tasks that don't evenmove the needle.
Don't remind me.
Inbox, zero obsession, endlessto-do lists.
Exactly.
I see it all the time.
(03:15):
People are out here runningtheir business like it's
survival mode instead ofbuilding something sustainable.
And honestly, it doesn't have tobe that way.
So what's the fix?
Like, what do we actually need?
Break it down.
First, simplicity.
You need to strip it all back,figure out the core of your
business.
What activities are genuinelyproducing results?
Everything else, it's justnoise.
(03:36):
Okay, but separating the signalfrom the noise, that's the hard
part, isn't it?
It is, but it's doable.
You start by asking yourself onesimple question.
Is this helping me get closer tomy goals?
If it isn't, you need todelegate it, automate it, or let
it go completely.
Like I said, for me, automationwas the game changer.
It's why I preach it so much.
(03:57):
It's not just a tool.
It's a mindset.
Wait, mindset from automation?
Isn't it just about saving time?
That's part of it, for sure.
But it's more about shiftingyour energy.
Automation allows you to stepout of the weeds and, you know,
actually think like a CEO tofocus on strategy, customers,
the big picture.
Ah, I see it now.
It's like freeing your brainfrom all the tiny details
(04:19):
dragging you down.
Exactly.
And here's the kicker.
Not everything needs you.
Some things, they just need aprocess, not your focus.
And when you embrace that,that's when the real
transformation happens.
All right.
So we've talked about themindset shift with automation
and how it can transformeverything.
But now I'm curious, what arethe actual steps we need to take
(04:39):
to make this happen?
Good question.
For anyone listening, here's thebreakdown.
Step one, audit your business.
Take a hard, honest look at whatyou're doing day to day.
And I mean everything.
Evaluate which tasks, systems,and processes are truly
contributing to your growthversus what's just keeping you
busy.
So basically, figure out what'sa waste of time and cut it,
(05:01):
right?
Exactly.
But don't just stop there.
Once you've audited, step two isto map out the customer journey.
Ask yourself, what do mycustomers need from me at every
step and how am I deliveringthat?
This is where you pinpoint gapsin efficiency or experience.
Okay, I got to stop you there.
This step feels big.
Like how does someone not getoverwhelmed doing this?
(05:22):
It can feel big, but it doesn'thave to be complicated.
Break it down into moments, whenthey first find you, when they
buy, when they get what theypurchased.
Just focus on one step at atime.
Which brings me to step three,simplify your tech stack.
Oh, now you're speaking mylanguage.
Simplify that tech.
No more juggling a hundred apps,right?
(05:42):
Exactly.
You don't need five differentsystems to do one job.
If your tools aren't integrated,they're probably slowing you
down.
Find one system or a set oftools that work seamlessly
together and let them do theheavy lifting for you.
All right, so let's keep itreal.
What's the next move?
Step four, start with onesystem.
I know it's tempting to try tofix everything at once, but
(06:05):
focus on improving one processfirst.
Whether it's automating youronboarding, streamlining your
emails, or upgrading your CRM,pick one thing and commit to it.
Right.
Like don't overwhelm yourselftrying to do it all.
Baby steps.
Exactly.
Which brings me to the finalstep.
Step five, commit to execution.
(06:25):
This is where people often falloff.
You've got to actually use thesystems you set up.
It's not enough to just have thetech in place.
You need to make it part of yourdaily routine.
Preach.
Automation doesn't work if youdon't use it.
All right.
So quick recap for ourlisteners.
Love it.
Anything else you want to leavethe audience with, Dr.
(07:08):
Kim?
Just this, you've got what ittakes.
Building systems doesn't meangiving up control.
It means designing your businessto work for you, not the other
way around.
It's not about perfection.
It's about progress.
Start small, start somewhere,and just start.
And on that note, that's a wrap,y'all.
Thanks for hanging with us onthe AI-powered entrepreneur.
(07:30):
Next time, we'll dive deeperinto this mindset that helps
make the pivot.
It's been real, and we'll catchyou next time.
Thanks for tuning in to the AIPowered Entrepreneur.
If today's episode got youthinking bigger, moving
differently, or ready to buildsmarter, do me a favor.
(07:50):
Subscribe, leave a review, andmost importantly, take action.
Don't just learn about AI.
Build with it.
Scale with it.
Join the free Facebook group,The Business of Artificial
Intelligence, or get on our MindMeld wait list if you're ready
to roll up your sleeves andfinally automate the right way.
New episodes drop every two I'mDr.
(08:13):
Kim, the AI doctor.
Now let's get to work.
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