In this powerful episode, Charles sits down with Susan Sly—tech entrepreneur, AI innovator, and health warrior—to unpack how she rebuilt her life from rock bottom to billion-dollar impact.
Susan shares her gripping story of being diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis, losing her marriage, her business, and becoming homeless—all in 16 weeks. But instead of surrendering, she turned to biohacking, belief, and relentless self-reinvention.
Together, they explore the healing protocols Susan used to defy her terminal diagnosis, her rise to co-founding an AI company that led the largest deployment of computer vision at scale in U.S. history, and her newest mission: revolutionizing menopause care with AI.
The conversation covers everything from stem cell therapy and triathlon training to scaling tech companies and leveraging AI for real-world transformation. It's a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and using adversity as fuel for impact.
Key Takeaways:
-
The exact health protocols Susan used to reverse her MS symptoms and regain peak performance
-
Why Susan avoids support groups—and what she did instead to accelerate healing
-
How she scaled an AI company with 8 patents and became a global authority in computer vision and generative AI
-
The origin and mission behind Pause AI, the world's first menopause-focused AI wellness app
Head over to provenpodcast.com to download your exclusive companion guide, designed to guide you step-by-step in implementing the strategies revealed in this episode.
KEY POINTS:
00:57 - The MS diagnosis that changed everything: At the height of her career as a professional athlete and media personality, Susan collapses into chronic fatigue and neurological symptoms—only to be told she has progressive multiple sclerosis and 10 years to live.
06:42 - From rock bottom to reinvention: In just 16 weeks, Susan lost her business, her marriage, and her home—yet made a bold decision to surround herself with millionaires, dive into personal development, and rebuild her identity with intention and belief.
08:22 - The MS recovery protocol revealed: Susan details the exact biohacks and wellness strategies she still follows today—including acupuncture, IV therapy, ozone, fasting retreats, strength training, and ditching artificial sweeteners forever.
14:11 - Scaling AI from nothing to industry dominance: Susan explains how she co-founded a computer vision company that scaled nationally, holds 8 patents, and pioneered the largest deployment of vision-based AI in U.S. history—all without VC funding.
22:39 - AI committees are doing it wrong: Susan breaks down the three fatal mistakes companies make when adopting AI—and why excluding HR and finance from your AI strategy guarantees failure before it starts.
48:46 - The champagne bus moment that sparked Pause AI: At a high-powered women-in-AI event, Susan realized even the most elite women were suffering silently through menopause—and decided to build the first AI-driven solution to support them.
54:39 - What men need to know about menopause (and andropause): Susan offers a candid, science-based breakdown of how menopause affects women—and why male partners need to lean in, get educated, and prepare for the male equivalent: andropause.