Proven Podcast: Episode Summary Title: Generated $2 Billion Leveraging AI
Host: Charles Schwartz
Guest: Susan Sly
Release Date: July 24, 2025

Introduction

In this compelling episode of the Proven Podcast, host Charles Schwartz welcomes Susan Sly, a remarkable entrepreneur who defied the odds after being diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Susan shares her transformative journey from personal adversity to building billion-dollar brands and spearheading one of the largest AI deployments in U.S. history. The conversation delves deep into resilience, strategic decision-making, and the innovative application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Susan's Personal Journey and Overcoming Adversity

Susan begins by recounting her life-altering diagnosis of progressive multiple sclerosis on January 13, 2000. At the time, she was a successful business owner, a professional athlete, and a media celebrity. Her condition was deemed terminal, with dire predictions for her future. However, Susan's determination led her to defy these expectations.

Susan Sly [02:45]: "If you're going through hell, just keep on going."

Facing homelessness, divorce, and a debilitating illness within a span of 16 weeks, Susan emphasizes the importance of making deliberate decisions to refine one's path rather than succumbing to victimhood.

Strategic Resilience and Career Refinement

Susan discusses the strategies that empowered her to rebuild her life and career. Instead of seeking solace in support groups, she chose proactive measures to regain control.

1. Biohacking Health: Susan committed to a rigorous health regimen, eliminating harmful substances from her diet and embracing holistic therapies.

   Susan Sly [08:24]: "I drink no Diet Coke, no aspartame, no gluten... Everything is super clean."

2. Continuous Learning and Networking: Determined to surround herself with successful individuals, Susan memorized the names of seven million-dollar earners and sought mentorship from industry leaders like Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins.

3. Daily Discipline: Daily practices such as meditation, exercise, and gratitude journaling became cornerstones of her routine, fostering both physical and mental well-being.

Professional Achievements in AI and Entrepreneurship

Despite her health challenges, Susan has amassed an impressive list of professional accomplishments:

• AI Deployment: Led the largest computer vision AI rollout in U.S. history, securing eight patents in the process.
• Sales and Marketing: Generated over $2 billion in sales across consumer packaged goods and technology sectors.
• Startup Innovation: Co-founded a company pioneering AI solutions for the perimenopause and menopause market, addressing an underserved demographic with significant societal impact.

Susan Sly [14:14]: "Women-led startups are 60% more profitable, yet they receive less than 1% of all VC funding."

Leveraging AI: Tools, Methodologies, and Best Practices

Susan provides insightful strategies on effectively implementing AI within organizations:

1. Board Expertise: Ensure that board members have actual experience in scaling AI, beyond theoretical knowledge.

2. Diverse AI Committees: Incorporate stakeholders from various departments such as HR, legal, and finance to foster comprehensive AI integration.

3. Purpose-Driven AI Usage: Clearly define the problems AI is intended to solve to avoid generic and ineffective implementations.

4. Generative AI Utilization: Utilize Gen AI for decision-making support, cost optimization, and content creation, emphasizing the importance of proper instruction sets to maximize effectiveness.

Susan Sly [25:48]: "Generative AI tools can help generate ideas, optimize costs, and create content efficiently—if used correctly."

Investment Perspectives and Future of AI

Susan shares her optimistic view on the future of AI and robotics, drawing parallels with historical technological advancements like the internet and Y2K preparations.

• Robotics: Envisions a future where personalized robots become commonplace, enhancing daily life and addressing critical needs such as aging in place due to hospital bed shortages.

  Susan Sly [32:22]: "Everyone will have their own personalized robot, making lives easier and supporting independent living."

• Investment Strategies: Advocates for investing in companies like Nvidia, which are at the forefront of AI technology, and emphasizes the importance of lean, adaptive teams in the AI-driven market.

Addressing Menopause and Andropause with AI

Transitioning to a critical societal issue, Susan introduces Pause AI, her venture focused on developing AI-driven solutions for menopause and andropause.

• Challenge: Women have long been underserved in clinical research, with over a billion women projected to experience menopause by 2030. Existing data gaps hinder effective solutions.

• Solution: Pause AI aims to create a consumer-facing application that leverages AI to provide predictive, prescriptive, and preventative healthcare insights for women undergoing menopause.

  Susan Sly [46:40]: "Our subscribers see a 90% improvement in well-being within the first 90 days using our platform."

• Features: The app includes gamification, wearable integration, and an AI agent named Harmony that offers support and guidance, addressing both physical and emotional challenges.

Susan also touches on the often-overlooked counterpart—andropause—in men, outlining plans to develop similar AI solutions to support male health.

Susan Sly [57:01]: "Andropause symptoms like moodiness and erectile dysfunction are similar to PMS for women, and we're committed to solving it."

Call to Action and Closing Remarks

Susan invites listeners to engage with her work, whether by adopting her AI solutions for menopause or seeking her expertise in AI implementation.

Susan Sly [59:25]: "If you're interested in having a menopause benefit accessible to your team, visit the Pause AI website and reach out."

Charles concludes the episode by encouraging listeners to take proactive steps based on the insights shared.

Charles Schwartz [60:18]: "It's not what you think. It's only what you can prove. We proved a ton of things on this episode. Go prove it yourself."

Key Takeaways

• Resilience and Adaptability: Susan's journey underscores the power of resilience and strategic adaptation in overcoming personal and professional challenges.

• Effective AI Implementation: Successful AI integration requires experienced leadership, diverse stakeholder involvement, and clear objectives.

• Innovative Healthcare Solutions: There's a significant opportunity in leveraging AI to address underrepresented healthcare needs, such as menopause and andropause.

• Investment in Future Technologies: Embracing AI and robotics is essential for staying competitive and fostering growth in the evolving technological landscape.

Notable Quotes

• Susan Sly [02:45]: "If you're going through hell, just keep on going."

• Susan Sly [14:14]: "Women-led startups are 60% more profitable, yet they receive less than 1% of all VC funding."

• Susan Sly [25:48]: "Generative AI tools can help generate ideas, optimize costs, and create content efficiently—if used correctly."

• Susan Sly [46:40]: "Our subscribers see a 90% improvement in well-being within the first 90 days using our platform."

This episode of the Proven Podcast offers a profound narrative of overcoming adversity, coupled with actionable insights into leveraging AI for significant business and societal impact. Susan Sly's expertise and experiences serve as an inspiration for entrepreneurs, technologists, and healthcare innovators alike.