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Overview:
Replaying the most listened to episode. Alicia and George McKenzie share about what “wellness” actually looks like when you're raising five kids, running companies, and still trying to have a conversation that doesn’t involve snack negotiations or Slack notifications.

They dig into cold plunges, ketone shots, and why Alicia only answers emails on Mondays—plus, their take on the California bill that lets workers ignore their boss after hours. Spoiler: boundaries are great, but maybe don't legislate them?

Why this episode is a fan favorite:

• You’ll laugh out loud at George’s Finnish sauna joke (and his very wrong sound effects).
• You’ll walk away with a clearer picture of what wellness actually looks like for two high-performers juggling work, love, and chaos.
• You’ll question what “balance” really means—and maybe stop chasing it entirely.

In this episode:

• Biohacking for real people: cold plunges, red light therapy, ketone IQ shots, and why George doesn’t plunge after leg day.
• The myth of work-life balance and why Alicia calls BS on it.
• Parenting meltdowns, wardrobe wars, and raising emotionally resilient kids—even when they only want to wear long johns under shorts.
• Why boundaries matter more than ever, and how to enforce them without waiting for legislation.
• A brutally honest take on flexible work, Slack culture, and corporate expectations in the era of remote everything.

Quote of the Episode:
“At the end of the day, it’s just deciding the life you want to live—and putting the things in place to support it.” – Alicia McKenzie

Links & Mentions:

• Ketone IQ (not sponsored, just curious)
• You Are What You Eat – Netflix Documentary
• Alicia’s book: Balance is Bullshit (required reading if you’ve ever felt like you’re doing it all… badly)

Enjoyed this episode?
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🌐 Website: www.marriedtothestartup.com

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In this episode, Alicia shares her surprising results using a new anxiety patch that actually lowered her daytime stress levels, backed by data from her Oura Ring. George gives it a try too and opens up about his own high-stress moments managing life solo with the kids. The couple also breaks down what it really means to be "busy" versus just living a full life, and they reflect on techniques like tapping, supplements, and biohacks for managing high performance without burning out.

Then they shift gears into startup strategy, including:

• Why George offered unlimited PTO at his company—and how it played out
• How to handle accrued liabilities when preparing for an acquisition
• Whether mandatory time off is actually a smart idea (spoiler: yes)
• The business case for S-Corps vs LLCs and when to make the switch
• George’s favorite analogy for understanding different types of outside capital

The episode also explores the impact of agentic AI on customer service, the evolution of corporate perks, and why leveraging debt might be smarter than taking VC money.

Highlights

• 03:00: Alicia's unexpected results with Restore Patch and why George is now a believer too
• 08:30: “Busy” as a conversation killer—and how to change the narrative
• 15:45: The logic (and liability) behind unlimited PTO
• 20:00: Mandatory summer PTO and how it’s shaping modern work culture
• 31:00: When to switch from an LLC to an S-Corp (and what George wishes more founders knew)
• 35:00: The best analogy you’ll ever hear about the difference between debt, VC, and private equity

Product Mentioned

• Restore Patch: Alicia’s go-to for anxiety and sleep support. Use code LIFT15 for 15% off. This isn’t sponsored—just a product she genuinely loves.

Takeaways

1. Stress management doesn’t always require massive lifestyle changes—sometimes it’s as small as a patch or a five-minute technique like tapping.
2. “Unlimited PTO” isn’t just a perk; it’s a strategy for reducing liability and staying competitive in hiring.
3. Don’t wait until it's too late to think about entity structure. LLCs work until they don’t.
4. Not all capital is created equal. Learn when to borrow, when to raise, and when to just bootstrap smarter.
5. Corporate culture is shifting, but your business model needs to support those values if you want them to stick.

Resources

• Restore Patch
• Learn more about S-Corp vs LLC: IRS.gov Business Structures

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In this episode, Alicia and George McKenzie take you inside their latest wellness routines, including peptide injections and biohacking for recovery, cognitive performance, and longevity. They share how tracking health KPIs is just as important as business KPIs, especially when you're running companies, raising kids, and chasing long-term vitality.

The duo also unpacks the story of a six-month-old SaaS startup that was acquired by Wix for $80M in cash—built by a solo founder leveraging AI. Plus, they offer an honest look at what it’s really like to go through a private equity event from the founder’s seat.

What We Talk About:

• Why Alicia uses TB-500 and BPC-157, and George is on Tesamorelin
• How they track improvements using Oura and Whoop wearables
• Peptides, recovery, and the misconception of “miracle shots”
• The CEO mindset applied to your body: KPIs, bloodwork, and strategy
• Rapamycin and Tirzepatide: what worked, what didn’t, and why they microdose
• The Base44 acquisition: how AI is changing the speed and cost of building startups
• Why product vision > coding skills in today’s tech landscape
• What George learned from a real-life PE exit (and what he’d do differently)
• The private equity “shell game” and why lean startups might already be more efficient

Key Takeaways:

• Founders can’t ignore their health. Being the CEO of your body is non-negotiable.
• Peptides can be powerful, but only when combined with smart habits like movement, sleep, and nutrition.
• The rise of AI is accelerating the solo-preneur economy—if you can dream it, you can build it.
• Not all private equity strategies are created equal—alignment, transparency, and realistic expectations matter more than ever.

Resources Mentioned:

• Oura Ring
• Whoop Band
• Base44 acquisition by Wix – TechCrunch
• Learn more about peptides like BPC-157 and Tesamorelin

Connect With Us:
📩 Have a question or topic you want us to cover? DM Alicia @liftlikeamother or @marriedtothestartup
💡 Loved this episode? Please leave us a review—it helps more founders find us.
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In this raw and powerful episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia McKenzie sits down with Amri Kibbler—entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of HeyMama—to talk about the dual challenges of scaling a company and facing a life-threatening illness. After two successful acquisitions and a diagnosis of stage three colorectal cancer, Amri opens up about the role of self-care, the complexities of founder relationships, and how stress silently builds in the body.

Together, they explore what it means to maintain wellness while juggling motherhood, business, and health scares—and why knowing your normal might be the most important self-care tool of all.

You’ll also hear about Amri’s new podcast, The Space Between, a safe space for parents navigating cancer and its emotional fallout.

Follow Amri here.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, cancer, wellness, community, relationships, self-care, stress management, health awareness, women empowerment

Top Takeaways:

• Building HeyMama was just the beginning of Amri’s entrepreneurial journey.
• A stage three cancer diagnosis at the height of her career changed everything.
• Operating at 60% capacity forced her to reevaluate how she shows up in business and life.
• The “stress cup” analogy helps her manage wellness and emotional load.
• Amri’s new podcast supports parents who are walking through cancer with kids in the picture.
• Understanding what “normal” feels like in your body can be a life-saving insight.
• Health maintenance is not optional—it’s foundational

Chapters:
00:00 | Meet Amri Kibbler: HeyMama Origins
01:48 | Entrepreneurship Meets Personal Adversity
05:37 | Cancer Diagnosis & Life at 60% Capacity
09:22 | Knowing Your Body & Health Awareness
11:22 | Friendships and Founder Dynamics
14:01 | Family, Children & Illness: Managing the Fallout
18:36 | Staying Aligned with Passion Through Hardship
20:22 | Selling a Company & Finding Support
21:23 | The Overflowing “Stress Cup” Concept
25:12 | Life After Cancer: What Wellness Looks Like
29:29 | Leading With Purpose Post-Treatment
33:35 | The Launch of The Space Between
38:46 | Why Younger People Are Facing Cancer More Often

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In this conversation, George and Alicia discuss various themes related to parenting, youth sports, and societal trends. They explore the dangers of burnout in youth sports, the rising trend of water tastings, changing drinking habits among women, and the impact of economic factors on alcohol consumption. The discussion also touches on the balance between structured summer camps and unstructured play for children, the challenges of navigating youth sports and travel teams, and the complexities of immigration and the path to citizenship.


Chapters

00:00 The Dangers of Burnout in Youth Sports
02:45 The Rise of Water Tastings
05:40 Sober Curiosity and Changing Drinking Habits
08:38 The Impact of Economic Factors on Alcohol Consumption
11:18 Summer Camps vs. Unstructured Play
14:22 Navigating Youth Sports and Travel Teams
25:53 The Challenges of Balancing Sports and Academics
28:39 Immigration and the Path to Citizenship

Keywords

burnout, youth sports, water tastings, sober curiosity, summer camps, travel teams, immigration, citizenship, parenting, wellness

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In this episode, George and Alicia discuss various themes surrounding mental health, vulnerability, and the pressures faced by gifted individuals and men. They explore the impact of labels on performance, the importance of having a support system, and the challenges of balancing work and personal life. The conversation also highlights the significance of understanding one's purpose in business and the experiences of female founders in a male-dominated industry.

Chapters

00:00 The Burden of Labels: Gifted Kids and Fear of Failure
02:53 Men's Mental Health Awareness: Breaking the Silence
05:47 Vulnerability in Men: The Struggle to Open Up
08:29 Building a Personal Board of Directors
11:20 The Impact of Praise: Balancing Expectations and Performance
14:00 The Average Kid vs. The Gifted Kid: Risk-Taking in High Pressure Situations
16:46 The Importance of Self-Talk and Positive Reinforcement
19:43 The Role of Identity in Performance: Smart Kids and Pressure
22:13 Entrepreneurship: The Fear of Failure and Innovation
25:01 The Power of 'Why': Understanding Purpose in Business
27:58 Work-Life Balance: Expectations vs. Reality
30:19 Finding Inspiration: Female Founders and Their Journeys
33:19 Closing Thoughts: The Importance of Connection and Support

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In this episode, Alicia and George discuss the recent acquisition of Hailey Bieber's beauty brand, Road, by Elf Beauty for $1 billion. They explore the implications of celebrity influence in business, the operational roles behind celebrity brands, and the challenges of replicating such success.

The conversation also delves into the concept of self-made success, the role of privilege, and the importance of strategic capital raising in entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Alicia McKenzie and George discuss the challenges and realities of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of timing, execution, and financial stability.

They explore the concept of agentic AI, its implications for the future, and the generational shifts in how technology is interacted with. The discussion also touches on the rapid evolution of AI, its potential benefits, and the risks it poses to society.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Episode
00:50 The Acquisition of Road by Elf Beauty
02:19 The Impact of Celebrity Influence in Business
03:43 Operational Roles in Celebrity Brands
05:50 Challenges of Replicating Celebrity Success
08:07 The Myth of Self-Made Success
10:38 Defining Self-Made Success
12:00 The Role of Privilege in Success
15:25 The Importance of Strategic Capital Raising
17:53 Raising and Deploying Capital Effectively
24:32 Navigating Entrepreneurship and Financial Stability
25:44 The Role of Timing and Luck in Business
27:34 Execution Over Ideas: The Key to Success
29:07 Understanding Agentic AI and Its Implications
31:55 The Future of AI: Opportunities and Concerns
35:50 Generational Shifts in Technology Interaction
39:33 The Rapid Evolution of AI and Its Impact
43:36 The Dual Nature of AI: Benefits and Risks

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In this episode, Alicia and George McKenzie explore the implications of AI on creativity, parenting, and the importance of empathy. They discuss the challenges of parenting in a judgmental society, the lessons learned from sports, and the significance of building authentic relationships in business. The conversation also touches on the future of AI and its potential to assist in various fields while emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human interaction.

Chapters

00:00 The Rise of AI-Generated Content
09:58 The Impact of AI on Creativity and Original Thought
19:56 Navigating Parenting and Empathy
29:46 The Role of Sports in Life Lessons
36:22 Building Authentic Relationships in Business

Follow George and Alicia!

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