Mary Houle runs two careers simultaneously - data analyst by day, fractional CFO by night. But it wasn't a VP laughing at her desire to "build relationships" that sparked her entrepreneurial leap. It was realizing she could help creative business owners stop avoiding the one thing keeping them stuck: their numbers.

Less than 2% of people said they didn't care when asked about AI-generated images that look indistinguishable from reality. Over 85% said it was freaking them out. But here's what nobody's talking about: while everyone's panicking about robots replacing humans, the real shift is already happening in how you find restaurants, plan your day, and make decisions about your health.

In this episode we dive into:

• Why AI tools becoming "too good" actually makes your human judgment more valuable, not less

• The hidden way these tools are already shaping your choices (even if you've never opened ChatGPT)

• How to use this technology without losing yourself in the process

• The analog renaissance coming in the next 5-7 years and why in-person elements will become your business edge

The New Reality: When You Can't Tell What's Real Anymore

• AI image generators went from looking like The Sims to creating photos of people who appear to have a nine-step skincare routine and a salary—practically overnight

• You could design an entire coffee brand with professional studio-quality photos in minutes without hiring a single designer or photographer

• The line between "real" and "generated" is already blurred, which means what we pay attention to is about to fundamentally shift

• When beautifully aesthetic content becomes effortless to create, value shifts back to the one thing AI can't replicate: the human behind it

The Transformation: From Keyword Searches to Conversations That Understand You

• Searching for a bar recommendation by saying "I want a place with good vibes at 4:30 on a Wednesday that's not touristy but feels like New York" and actually getting the perfect spot

• AI tools are learning your context, mood, and personality—not just keywords—which means they respond the way a friend who really knows you would

• ChatGPT creating shopping experiences, personalized recommendations, and frictionless purchasing without you ever leaving the platform

• The catch nobody mentions: to get results you actually want requires you being deeply in touch with what you want in the first place

Your Edge in an AI-Saturated World

• There's no such thing as sitting this one out—these tools shape how information gets filtered to you whether you use them or not

• AI can mirror empathy but can't have your exact worldview, lived experiences, judgment, or intuition

• The businesses that win will blend virtual delivery with in-person elements because people will crave verification that something is authentically human

• Your edge isn't being louder than AI—it's being impossible to replace because you show up 100% as yourself with stories only you can tell

This conversation reminds us that technology doesn't diminish human value; it amplifies the importance of knowing who you are. Whether you're a founder worried about staying relevant or someone who just uses Instagram and wonders why every post sounds the same, this episode offers the framework to use these tools without losing yourself in the process.

Instagram:

⁠@thekrystahuber⁠

⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠

It's December—the month where you're simultaneously reflecting on what didn't happen this year, feeling the pressure of holiday obligations, and scrolling through everyone else's highlight reels wondering where you went wrong. But here's what nobody's talking about: you're not actually behind. You're just finally slowing down enough to notice that you've been operating on autopilot, crushing deadlines for everyone else while quietly disconnecting from yourself.

In this episode we dive into:

• Why December is the perfect time to reconnect with yourself instead of waiting for January's magic reset

• The subtle patterns that have you functioning at full capacity but feeling completely disconnected

• How to build momentum through micro-decisions rather than massive goal-setting

• Why upgrading your capacity matters infinitely more than upgrading your goals

The Pattern You're Not Seeing

• You're high-functioning, self-sufficient, and checking every box—except the ones that actually matter to you

• The water bottle got smaller, the emails ran later, the meal prep stopped happening, and suddenly you're chugging water at 10pm wondering how you got here

• These aren't dramatic failures—they're tiny compromises that snowballed while you were too busy functioning to notice

• December hits and you finally slow down enough to realize you haven't been living the way you planned to live

The Real Work of Reconnection

• This isn't about January's fresh start—it's about asking yourself right now what you let slide that genuinely helps you

• The domino effect starts with one decision: finishing emails 30 minutes earlier to cook a real meal, blocking calendar time for walks before daylight savings steals your motivation, actually looking at your week instead of white-knuckling through it

• Your routines didn't fail you—life transitions happened (new jobs, relationships ending, goals being met) and the non-negotiables that felt automatic suddenly required more intention

• The people who feel best in January made solid decisions in December, not because they're superhuman but because they stopped postponing their own lives

Why Capacity Beats Goals Every Time

• If you're running on fumes, what exactly do you have to give to those lofty goals you're about to set?

• Capacity is eating enough, drinking enough water, sleeping enough, not scrolling between meetings, giving yourself five minutes to walk even if you can't do thirty

• When your capacity rises, everything becomes easier—not because you're forcing habits but because you can actually handle what you're asking of yourself

• Pick one thing this week that supports your capacity, and watch how it makes everything else you're juggling feel lighter

This conversation reminds us that there is no such thing as being too late to come back to yourself. Whether you're beating yourself up for another year of unmet expectations or already dreading January's pressure to fix everything at once, this episode offers the practical insights and emotional permission to start reconnecting right now—not when the calendar flips, but today.

Follow Krysta:

⁠@thekrystahuber⁠

⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠