Leap Academy with Ilana Golan - From Burned-Out Doctor to Global Wellness Founder: Dr. Amy Shah's Bold Career Pivot | E148

Episode Date: March 3, 2026

Dr. Amy Shah did everything she was supposed to do. Ivy League education. Elite medical training. Multiple board certifications. On paper, her life looked like a success. But behind the accolades, she was exhausted, disconnected, and running on stress. Then a near-fatal car accident forced her to confront a hard truth. The life she built was slowly breaking her body and mind. In this episode, Amy joins Ilana to share how a personal health crisis became the catalyst for a complete reinvention. She opens up about leaving the traditional medical path without burning the boats, building a science-backed wellness platform, and why women are being failed by modern healthcare. Dr. Amy Shah is a double board-certified physician and nutrition specialist. Through her books and wellness platform, Dr. Amy empowers millions to optimize their health with evidence-based strategies rooted in nutrition, gut health, exercise, and lifestyle medicine. In this episode, Ilana and Dr. Amy will discuss: (00:00) Introduction  (03:30) How a Near-Fatal Accident Became a Wake-Up Call (09:51) From Traditional Medical Path to a Wellness Brand (13:08) Building a Personal Brand Despite Pushback (17:13) The Power of Having a Supportive Network (21:47) How Dr. Amy Built a Powerful Portfolio Career (23:51) Understanding Women's Health: The 30-30-3 Framework (26:41) The Science of Probiotics and Gut Health (30:24) The 4-3-2-1 Movement Framework for Peak Health (37:32) Managing Stress and Cortisol Levels (43:42) Building a Personal Brand and Finding Your Path (47:17) Her Immigrant Roots and Its Impact (51:44) Review and Q&A: Beating Ageism in Your Career Journey Dr. Amy Shah is a double board-certified physician and nutrition specialist. She is the bestselling author of I’m So Effing Hungry and I’m So Effing Tired. Her latest book, Hormone Havoc, offers a science-backed guide to navigating the complexities of perimenopause and menopause. Through her books and wellness platform, Dr. Amy empowers millions to optimize their health with evidence-based strategies rooted in nutrition, gut health, exercise, and lifestyle medicine. Connect with Dr. Amy: Dr. Amy’s Website: https://amymdwellness.com  Dr. Amy’s Instagram: instagram.com/dramyshah  Resources Mentioned: Dr. Amy’s Books,  Hormone Havoc: A Science-Backed Protocol for Perimenopause and Menopause: Sleep Better. Think Better. Feel Better: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063420856  I'm So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave – and What to Do About It: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063285118  Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities.  Check out our free training today at https://bit.ly/leap--free-training

A lot of the time that I spent growing up, I thought that there was going to be some kind of secret that would save me and I would find success and happiness. I realized over the years that you have to create that. You have to create the happiness. You have to create the success. Like, you have to save yourself. Amy Shaw, double board certified MD and nutrition specialist.

She has built a world-renowned wellness education platform. One of the biggest things that I learned, my cortisol was through the roof and my nervous was always kind of in that fight or flight mode, which is why I felt like I couldn't ever be present. And your nutrition could make a difference. So you're saying that based on what we eat, we can actually be happier, more content,

and we live longer. That's right. We have studies now that show that three days is all it takes of a change diet to notice improvements. So I don't have to have all these supplements and medications and whatever, like just based on what I eat, we can all get healthier. One of the biggest tips I have is...

Welcome to the Leap Academy with Ilana Golan Show. I'm so glad you're here. In the Leap Academy podcast, I get to speak to the biggest leaders of our time about their career, how they got where they are today, the challenges, the failures, and countless lessons. So lean in. This episode is going to be amazing.

I'm in a mission to help millions reinvent their career and leap into their full potential, land their dream roles, fast track to leadership, jump to entrepreneurship or build portfolio careers. This is what we do in our Leap Academy programs for individuals and teams. And with this podcast, we can give this career blueprint for free to tens of millions. So please help my mission by sharing this with every single person you know,

because this show has the power to change countless of lives. Deal? Okay, so let's dive in. Amy Shaw, double board certified MD and nutrition specialist, She has built a world-renowned wellness education platform, wrote two best-selling books with a third coming. But why does someone leave a secured medical path? How did she reinvent herself and build such an empire? We'll also dive into health.

I can't not talk about it. What are the shifts in women's health that we should all know about today? And how is stress impacting everything? I mean, we all feel it. And what do we do when we don't sleep well or we're, constantly hungry, so many questions. So make sure to share this important episode with every woman you know because it's truly, truly that important. Plus, at the end of the conversation, don't forget, I pick a career-related question that one of you asked us in a comment on YouTube

channel. Hint, today it's about ageism. So you absolutely don't want to miss it. Stay until the end. Amy, so great to have you. Thank you for having me. Oh, it's going to be so fun because your story is like a classic reinvention story, and I'm sure everybody would love it. But you ticked all the boxes of success. You graduated Magma Cum Laude from Cornell University. So take me a little bit into that journey of having all the accolades, the residency, the fellowship, and what happened? Basically, I did all the things that I thought I needed to do to get success and happiness, but I ended up in a place where I really hated the person in the mirror every day. I hated how I felt.

I hated how I looked. And I didn't enjoy the work I was doing because I thought I could be doing something with a bigger impact. But take me there. I mean, you've done residency fellowship. Correct me if I'm wrong. Einstein, Harvard, Columbia, two board certified, internal medicine, allergy. You've done all the things that my parents, like when I grew up, up, I had two options. Like, I could be a lawyer or I could be a doctor. That's right. You lived my life

what could have been my life, right? So take me there. You've ticked all these boxes. Why were you not happy? I lived a life, Alana, like a lot of people do. As soon as my alarm would ring, I would rush out of bed, rush to work. I wouldn't even know what I was doing because I was in my head. I was just going through my to-do list for the day. And then I had a very stressful, busy practice, and I would be rushing through there because I needed to get done on time so that I could pick up my young kids. And what was happening is I thought that success met that I wasn't allowed to sleep. I loved outdoor hikes and walks. I thought it had to be super high intensity. And I was doing all the things that we hear about entrepreneurs or really successful.

people doing, waking up at 5 a.m. and drinking coffee and then going for a heavy workout. And what I realized is that that wasn't working for me. And the work that I was doing, and nobody here is unfamiliar with the healthcare crisis in America, like I felt like medicine that I was practicing wasn't serving my patients in the best way. So I was not really satisfied with my career. I felt like I wasn't doing enough to be a good mom because my mom never worked. and my grandmothers never worked. And so I always had the guilt, the mom guilt. And so it was a combination of never giving myself time to actually take care of my body or my mind and trying to fit into what society told me was expected of me as a person who could handle anything,

the mom that can do it all. And that was the false fallacy for me. And so one day I looked in the mirror and I was like, this is not the person I want to be. I was cranky. I was tired. I was stressed and I was always in my head instead of being present. And I had gut issues and I had hormone issues and I couldn't think straight. I thought I had mom brain and I was starting to go through peri metapause. And then one day I was rushing out of the office to try to go get my kids and one of my partners said to me, hey, can we do a quick meeting? My medical partners, instead of saying, no, I have to go get my kids, I said, sure. And I was just too embarrassed to say that I had to go and get my kids.

And so I stood there in the meeting, like, really stressed out and thinking in my mind how many minutes I had until I would need it to go get them. And I rushed as soon as the meeting ended. It was much later than I had expected. I ran out the back door, ran down the back steps into the parking lot, into my car, and I drove as fast as I could to the karate center where my kids were going to be. Now, on the way to the karate center, the last left turn that I was making to go there, I got into a huge multi-car accident. And all the airbags went off and I was spinning for what felt like minutes and I hit the divider. and thankfully, although everything came crashing down around me, I still had the wherewithal and I thought to myself, oh my God, I got to get out of this car to go get my kids. And I literally

opened the door, all the glasses on me. And I'm like starting to walk away. And they're like, no, no, no, no. There was so many cars involved. And it was just such a wake-up call to me that, wow, look at my life. It was like a metaphor. This car accident was really how I felt. Oh, my God. And think of it. first of all for sharing, because I think a lot of us, even though we have all these realizations, we need this pivotal moment to say, what on earth am I doing? Right? And I think this was your pivotal moment. This was the moment that defined you to say, I'm not the Amy that needs to tick all the boxes. I'm the Amy that gets to decide what kind of life I want to live. Am I understanding this correctly?

That's right. And that day was really the wake-up call. that I needed to make the change because the Amy that I wanted to be, the person that I wanted to be, I knew that I wanted to be her, but I just didn't really have the time or the space to pursue that. And this car accident kind of forced me into it. So it was a gift in a way. And I started to think to myself, I went to nutrition school. I went to medical school. I need to figure this out for myself. And as I started to figure it out for myself, I started to share what was working. So take me back in time if that's okay. So you have this horrible accident.

I think sometimes we don't even know who we are until we actually start walking the walk, right? Because we know we need change, but we don't know what that change looks like. It's all vague. And you did a little bit of writing and researching and stuff. But how do you take yourself through that journey of finding who Amy is and who she wants to be? because I think in the story of reinvention, I think sometimes that clarity is the hardest piece. Yeah, it is the hardest piece.

And I honestly didn't know how to get there, but what I started to do is I just started to take care of my body and mind. I just thought, let me just start with the easiest thing that I know how to do, which is health. And when I started to change the inside, the other things just happened as a consequence of that. And that's incredible. to me. So you're starting, I think, you're writing about, you're researching and slowly,

when was the moment that you're basically like, that's it, I'm leaving. I'm leaving the steady job. I'm leaving everything that theoretically I learned for. And now the truth is, what you learned also created the Amy Empire that you have today. But I think sometimes that's a scary piece of like, what am I leaving it all behind? I've just dedicated a decade of my life or more into this. So what is that moment when you're like, okay, that's it. I'm actually leaving. I'm doing this thing. I'm doing this entrepreneurship thing that I don't even know where it's going to take me. Well, Alana, what I did for many years, for about almost 10 years, I didn't leave my job. What I did is I consciously told my practice that I was going to work a few less hours a week.

I decided that I was going to take care of my health, and I decided I was going to pursue something that I was really passionate about. I think that's a really great message for a lot of people who are trying to figure out what to do. For me, it made sense to start this new thing, but also have my practice, but a scale-down version of it, so that I could do both. And that was really helpful for me to get everything started. And it wasn't until I really got established where I felt like I couldn't do both where I left. And I love that story. And that's why I wanted you to share it a little bit

because I think there's a little myth around burning the boats. And I don't think burning the boats is right for most people. And I think, in fact, when you can start creating that brand for yourself, the evidence that this is true, the evidence that this is real, that branding that you can actually make it, then you can actually leap a lot more successfully and you're going to be happier, etc. So I actually wanted you to share that piece because I think it's important for people. Sometimes it's like, you know, I need to leave everything behind.

And not really. There's ways to create portfolio career, which is actually the future of work anyway today. It was so interesting because when I was asked to come to speak at my first conference ever in wellness, there was like a life coach there. And I was coming back from the bathroom. And the life coach was doing mini sessions with people. And I said, oh, I'm sorry. I missed you. You were super full for the mini sessions. And she said, oh, actually, the person who was

supposed to come for this session didn't show if you want to talk for 10 minutes. Sure. So I said, yeah, great. And so the first thing I asked when I sat down was, what should I do? I explained, you know, the old me and then the new me and how I was really pursuing my whole wellness and nutrition career outside of medicine and how it was really making me feel alive again and making me feel like myself. And her advice was you don't have to pick like what you're saying. It's like it sounds like both things are bringing you joy. Now that you've changed your medical career a little bit, sounds like it's serving you better. And until you absolutely can't do both, it'll be obvious to you that this thing is outgrowing. And she was absolutely right. I went home that day and I said,

She's right. I'm just going to do both. And there was a point where I just couldn't do both anymore. One of the interesting pieces is that you needed to shift from an identity of that traditional Cornell, Harvard, Columbia, whatever specialist to wellness, influencer, business leader. It's actually a shift in identity. Tell me about those early days when suddenly you need to talk about yourself. You need to build a brand. You talk about the cringe mountain, you know, like, I think a lot of us have a different name of it, but there's a discomfort in building yourself, building your own brand. So talk to me about those early days. Yeah, when I started to share on social media, what was working for my mind and my body to help me get out of that

bad place of hormone imbalance, of gut imbalance, and just overwhelm, I got a lot of pushback. I got pushback from not only people that I didn't know, but also from people I knew, like my colleagues, and they were kind of questioning, like, hey, I see you're posting on social media. Like, why are you doing that? Are you doing it for fun? Or are you starting a new business? Like, what's going on? And then they would make fun of a post I would do or make. And it was like these little jabs. And I think it was coming from a place of unfamiliarity with the social media world, with distrust of social media at the time. And thinking that one of my partners actually did say to me, real doctors spend time with their patients. They don't go on the internet. And at that time, to his credit,

there weren't a ton of physicians on the internet. There was a lot of wellness coming from alternative medicine practitioners. And so there was this thing kind of stigma. And I really did call it cringe mountain, meaning that I would post something and I would feel like it was something that was giving a lot of value to people. But I really was scared of whatever. everybody would say, including my friends, my family, my medical community, my partners, colleagues, everything like that. And so it was kind of embarrassing. It was coming out of my comfort zone. And in the beginning, I really just dipped my toes into it. And I just called it a hobby because I was afraid to say that this is what I really wanted to do. But deep inside, I always knew that's what I

wanted to do. We need to pause for a super brief break. And while we do, take a moment and share this episode with every single person who may be inspired by this because this information can truly change your life and theirs. Now, I want to check in with you. Yes, you. Are you driven, but maybe feeling stuck in your career or a fraction of who you know you could be? Do you secretly feel you should have been further along in your income, influence, or impact? Do you ever wonder how to create not just a paycheck, but the life you want was a paycheck, the thought leadership, the legacy, the freedom. Because that was me, and that's exactly why I created the Leap Academy program, which already changed thousands of careers in lives. Look, getting intentional

and strategic with your career is now more important than ever. The skills for success have changed. AQ, adaptability, reinventing, and leaping are today the most important skills for the future of work. Building portfolio careers, multiple streams of income and ventures are no longer and nice to have, It's a must have, but no one is teaching this except for us in Leap Academy. So if you want more from your career in life, go to leapacademy.com slash training. Check out this completely free training about ways to fast track your career and you'll even be able to book a completely free strategy call with my team. That's leapacademy.com slash training.

What made you continue even though it's really, really scary? right? Because there's always haters. And by the way, it hurts more when it's somebody you do know, right? Yes. Because now you're creating all these excuses and all these like drama of what am I doing? Do I really want to do this? So what made you continue despite the fear, despite the cringe mountain? So as I started to grow, I started to spend more time creating content or writing, speaking, or going to conferences. And it was really taking a toll on. me financially, physically, mentally. And I had a lot of discussions with my friends and my husband and my family about this. And my husband said, what do you really want from this? Is this just a hobby? Are you actually interested in this? And it was during the pandemic when I really started to question, okay, what do I really want out of this? And when the pandemic ended, I thought to

myself, we only get one life to live, and this is my opportunity. And I had a deal with my husband. I said, you know, for two years, just give me a chance. I'm going to try this. And if it doesn't work, I'll just go back to being a regular doctor. But I just want to give it a shot. And he was in agreement, and I really did need that partnership in there. And I started to hang around people that were supportive. And I think that's a really important point, Alana. I think putting yourself in a place with people who don't like the new you is really dangerous. You really want to stay with people who support this new person that you are. And so I wanted to be around people who were supporting the new me.

And so that's what I did. And that was a big leap. It was really after the pandemic. And I'll lean into what you just said because as you grow, as you change, as your identity change, by definition, some of the crowd that knew you will not be able to adapt to the new identity. And you will need to almost divorce some of the people that have been in your vicinity in the past and to understand that not only you're changing, but your entire network is changing so that you can support the new you. Because again,

And most people that either have some hate or have something to say, it's usually coming because they're either jealous or they don't understand or it's some kind of an unknown. But again, you will almost never get a hate from somebody who is walk to walk. A hundred percent. And it was really surprising the people that ended up supporting this new person, the new me and the people who did it. It was like a big transformation time for me because the people that I was thinking were like my inner circle. Some of them were my biggest critics. And like you said, now in retrospect,

I'm thinking about it, it's not their fault. It's just that they either didn't understand or it triggered something inside of them. Like this person I was saying, one of my colleagues, I think it just triggered a part of them that they wanted to do something different. And now that I think about it, it was really coming from a place. of almost like jealousy. And then other people, it was more just they didn't understand. And I just started to realize that there were some people who were just like lighthouses and they showed me the way and there was just so happy and supportive. And so I thought to myself, the biggest thing I can do for myself is be around these people. And it was just important to reorder the people that

were around me and also getting some mentors in place because I think one thing that I found really difficult during this time is that there's no road, you know, an entrepreneurship. When I was in college, I knew, okay, I have to take these pre-medical courses and then I have to take the MCAT to get into medical school. And then when I'm in medical school, I have to do a certain level on the exams to get into fellowship. Every step was planned out. The road is so clear. It was so clear. You're pretty much knew that at the end of the road, you would land a job in your specific field. And now I was in this world where I have no idea what's even going to happen in the next six months, much less the next five years. And so I had to surround myself also with people who were like a few steps ahead of me

to understand where this could go because I didn't really have anybody that I knew. And so I had to collect a few people around me that I could see and watch what they're doing. I think that really was the accelerator to my growth. Anytime I've spent time, physical time with people who were doing really cool, amazing, even in different fields than me, I think, one, it gave me more confidence. Two, it showed me little, little things that I could be doing that could help and also showing me that it's possible. Oh, I love that because there's the saying that you are the average of the five people around you. And yeah, I don't think that I understood it as well as I should have because that would be like the biggest shortcut in my life if I knew that earlier in my career.

I surround myself with whoever was there. Yeah, exactly. I was never intentional about it. And also the thing is, Alana, is like, I don't think anyone teaches you that I thought it was my duty to always be around the family and the friends that I grew up with. That was my duty to be a good daughter. Yeah, loyal to my family, an extended family. And what I learned is that, no, you don't owe anybody. Even if you've known someone for 20 years, but they're a toxic person, you are allowed to not engage with them or not give them your energy. And I think that was something that has really helped me. Oh, that's so true, because there's a saying that you don't manage. your time, you manage your energy. And it's actually incredible to see that when you can decide what

sucks your energy and what actually lifts you, suddenly you have a lot more time. You have, you achieve a lot more. Like it's actually incredible to see. Absolutely. Now we're going to go a little deeper into what you're doing because I think we're probably one of the only organization that teaches how to create portfolio careers. And you live the portfolio career. Like you're a best selling author. You have your own businesses. You have your own product. So first of all, I want to dive into how do you manage the things, but then I want to dive into health because our listeners have to hear what you have to say. Well, I think it goes hand in hand. So as I started to get more clarity in my body, I started to get more clarity in my mind and started to have better idea. So I

think one of the biggest things I had to do was manage the inside to start to really see the road. And just like we said, there's no path. And even now, when I look at 2026, I have no idea, honestly, what to expect because I have plans, but life has plans as well. And I'm keeping space for opportunities that I don't even know of yet, which is what happened in 2025. So I had to get really clear about what the old me needed to become the need. To become the need. me and that has become my brand. My brand has become all the things that I think the old me needed. So my new book, Hormone Havoc, it's like a handbook with nutrition and lifestyle habits that the old me needed. I mean, we need to advance women's health care in this world and especially

this country. And I thought to myself, wow, what did it be cool to have a science-backed handbook that women could have? So that was how I wrote that. And then same thing with my content, on social, with all of the partnerships I'm doing some product development and all of my scientific advisory work. I try to think of myself as advising the old me. That's how I've built the whole ecosystem. And some of it has come to me, but some of it I've sought it out. So I want to go there for a second because hormone havoc is releasing soon. But I want to talk a little bit about if I'm taking myself back in time, you're right. In my 30s, at least for me, the term premenopause or any kind of shifts around it was absolutely something I was unaware of.

Maybe I lived on a rock. It's very possible, but I had no clue. So let's talk for a second about what should women do to be a lot more proactive about health? And what do you know now that you wish you knew earlier? One of the biggest things that I learned was that my cortisol was through the roof and my nervous system was always in that fight or flight mode, which is why I felt like I couldn't ever be present. I was always thinking like my to-do list was always going and then if I would wake up in the middle of the night, oh, just forget it.

I would be awake for hours and hours because my stress was so high and my nervous system was so wired that way. And so one of the things I talk about in the book is what are the first few changes that you would make into your life and your nutrition, that could make a difference. So for nutrition, that's my specialty. I started to think, what are the science-backed ways that we can change our health and especially while our hormones are changing? And what is something that actually women would do? When I watch people doing their four-hour morning routine, I just think to myself, there's no women that I know in my world that could do that. And so what is doable?

and is going to make lasting change for people. And so I started to create a nutritional protocol for women. It's a framework called the 30-33, 30 grams of protein in your first meal, so breakfast, 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three servings of probiotic foods every day. That's your goal. What does that look like?

So you might have an egg scramble in the morning with veggies and some probiotic cottage cheese on the side. So that gives you your protein, 30 grams, and it gives you a little bit of one serving of your probiotic food, and the veggies can be some fiber. For lunch, you might have avocado veggie salad or stir fry with some protein on it, and so you get your fiber again, and then maybe you use some apple cider vinegar as your dressing, so you get another probiotic food. And then for dinner, you might have potatoes, sweet potatoes, full of fiber. You might have berries as a snack, and you might have another protein.

protein lean meat or lentils for dinner. And then maybe with your dinner, you have a little bit of sourcrow or kimchi, like one spoon, or even a serving of yogurt. And you get your third probiotic food. Why are these things so important? I didn't even know protein is that important. And suddenly everybody's all around proteins and fibers and like, talk to me a little bit of. Why is it so important? Okay. So let's start backwards. So probiotic foods are something that every culture in the world used to have because it was a way of preserving things. Like fermentation was a way to preserve foods before refrigerators and all the processing that we do to foods. So we kind of lost that art. What we found is that eating probiotic foods, the cultures that still do that or the ancient cultures,

traditional cultures that still do that, they have a very strong gut. There's bacteria in our gut that eat and fermented food is bacteria that adds to the gut microbiome. And so we found improvements in anxiety, in mental health, in happiness, motivation, fatigue. In fact, to the point where there's a whole new area of science called psychobiotics, which they're trying to figure out which bacteria we can be ingesting to actually change our mood or stabilize a mood if you have a mood disorder or to boost mood if you're depressed or to calm mood if you have ADHD. All of those things are coming because we have so much data that eating fermented foods can actually support our brain in so many ways. And so that's really a groundbreaking

thing that's happened in the last 20 years, but we are not eating fermented foods anymore. And most people, if anything, they're taking a probiotic, but they're not really. really incorporating any real fermented foods. And so that is something that we want to do. And then fiber is actually food for the gut bacteria. So fiber has been shown in so many studies to improve health that they've found that in typical American, if they just eat five more grams of fiber, which is like a tablespoon of chia seeds, they would extend their life seven to 10 percent. What? All cause mortality because our gut bacteria and our gut microbiome is so, so intertwined with health. And so that fiber piece is from that. And then the protein piece is because

our gut loves protein and we're breaking down a lot of muscle during these hormonal transition of perimenopause and menopause. And we need to be lifting heavy weights and eating protein to support that. Otherwise, we will lose so much bone and so much muscle that when we get into our 60s, 70s and 80s, we won't be able to be functional anymore. And that's where your movement framework is, right? The four day, three days. So first of all, let me summarize for a second. So you're saying that based on what we eat, we can actually be happier, more content,

and we live longer. So basically you're saying, I don't have to have all these supplements and medications and whatever. Just based on what I eat, we can all get healthier. That's right. We have studies now that show that three days is all it takes of a change diet to notice improvements in the gut microbiome. And so it's very quick. It happens very quickly. Our body's very responsive to these changes. And so we should be doing it. Wow. This is incredible. And again, I wish more people talked about it, right? Because I think our instinct is always medication, medication, medication versus how do we actually from the things that,

are around us can get healthier instead of just going towards medication. Absolutely. But let's talk about the movement framework for a second because I think that's really, really important. And I think you have a way to put it down to something that is a little more tangible. Like you're saying, when I see these big, you need to work out four hours a day and do all the things and you know, like run marathons. It's like, okay, it's so overwhelming.

And it's not necessary. Yeah. So the 4321 framework is created so that women can live their optimal life. Now, if you were asking me, what's the minimum? Anything. Any kind of movement is great, right? So getting up from your chair every hour, great. But if you're looking to optimize your life, and that's what I wrote the book for, is like giving women a handbook so that they actually know what to do if they want to. And I keep saying in the book, if you rather walk through the woods every day and that's what makes you happy, great. So the 4-3-2-1 is like four days of an activity that you love. So again, harping on the fact that

longest living people in the world, they often have habits that they've had since childhood. Like they love to go on bike rides and they've done it all their lives and they continue to do that well into the 70s and 80s. And so if you like to hike or if you like to dance or if you have a history of dancing and you want to continue that. But the easiest way, for anyone who doesn't have anything is walking. So four days a week of some kind of movement that just gets your body moving. And we know that that's what we need to live a long healthy life, whether it be pickleball or tennis or whether it be walking or hiking, four days a week of movement.

And it can be as simple as going for a walk because there's no barriers for that. And then three days a week, you want to do weight training. And this comes from the data that women need stimulus on their muscle and bone for it to make more bone and muscle. And right now, from the time you're 30 onwards, you start to lose bone and muscle mass at accelerated rates as your hormone levels go down. And so it's very important for women, especially for everybody, but definitely for women, to stimulate their muscles and their bones so that they can live a long, healthy and

productive life. And that requires heavy lifting. Heavy lifting, meaning like some kind of weights that are going to stimulate. that muscle growth, that can be three days a week. So three days a week, some kind of weight training. The two stands for heat therapy. So we now know that sauna is really good for our health. And we actually know that heated movement, like hot yoga or even hot baths or steam rooms, anything that gets your core body temperature up for 20 minutes or so is something that can be really protective for your long-term health for brain health, for hormone health, for heart health. And so incorporating this

about two days a week. Quick question, brackets. I remember Richard Branson was always, was always forcing me to do all these ice bath. And he would literally need to coach me through it. And I hate them, Amy. I hate them. I hate them with passion. What do you think of them? So ice baths don't have as much long-term data on it. And so that's why I left it out of my four, three, two, one framework, because if you love it and it makes you energize, go for it. But the data is really not as strong currently for long-term health. And so it's something that if it makes you energized, great, because it does. It energizes people. But I agree, I'm not a huge fan. And the data is not as great for long-term health. I think it's still more of a traditional thing that many

cultures did and it keeps them refreshed and happy and low inflammation, yes. But do we have long-term data on this? No. Okay, sign me up for sauna. Okay, now we're in. Yeah, sauna is comfortable. It is uncomfortable, but in a different way. And it has lots of long-term data, especially from that finished population who actually does sauna regularly. Almost everybody does it. And the last one is the hard one. It's one sprint workout a week. So like a high-end. intensity workout. What we're finding is that high intensity work is kind of necessary to keep our heart really supple and strong. And actually there was a study that showed that you could reverse the age of the heart by 20 years by doing an exercise program for two years that included weights,

cardio, and then a sprint session once a week. And so that's why I included the sprint session once week because most people have not sprinted or done something in that intensity since school. And so really teaching people that this is not an optional thing. You need to incorporate one session a week and it can be any form of high intensity, anything that gets your heart rate to 85% of its max that is considered high intensity. So for a lot of people, it's running, but for some people, it'll be biking or walking uphill or even dancing, for example. And for those who don't remember, how do we calculate that 85% thing?

220 minus your age is a rough guesstimate of your max heart rate, and then you can do 85% of that. But that's very rough. If you really wanted to know, you'd want to get a true treadmill test for VO2 max. VO2 max. VO2 max is the strongest predictor of longevity, and that is how well your body uses oxygen at peak exercise. That is why getting your body trained for that once a week is really a great way to keep that heart healthy. So I love that because I feel like this is a lot more doable for me. I love hiking. I love hiking on hills. So I can get some of these. I just, I'm just missing the

weight training. Yes. I need to figure that out. Yeah. And the weight training is the hard one because for a lot of us, including myself, that old me that I was talking about, I didn't even do any weight training. I would do it like a spin class, some kind of high intensity, and then I would go to work, and I was sleep deprived, and then I was full of adrenaline, but I didn't really do anything for my bones or muscles. So what do you do now to say that at least like get at least the basic weight training in? I go to the gym at least once or twice. For the three, I do a class for one of them. and then the third, I do a power yoga or Pilates to get third. So there's a lot of debate about whether Pilates or yoga can give you the stimulus that you

need. So for me, what I've decided to do is keep it out of the three days. One day is the power yoga or Pilates. One day is a structured class and one day is a gym or some combination of the three. Like today I did the class and some days it's two classes in one yoga or two yoga and one. So I'm always trying to incorporate the three weight training days into my routine. And previously, I wasn't doing that. Let's talk for a second about stress.

Like, I think stress, and I think you say it beautifully. Like, I think we're almost wired to be stressed right now. I think there's this snowball effect of also everything is trying to stress you because that's the click baits, essentially. Like, that's how you're going to click on an article. That's how you're going to click on a post. like everything is trying to stress you. And we try to stress ourselves and with economy and politics and all the things. Like we're kind of at this peak, always be stressful mindset.

What do you do about it? How do you maneuver it? What should we know? Two years ago, when I did do this kind of plunge into wellness and nutrition and medicine, I had the opportunity to interview an entrepreneur that was doing really great things. And he was the co-founder of Mary Ruth Organics, David Guiam. And he was a co-founder of Mary Ruth Organics, David Guiam. and he also really believed in Kabbalah, like a spiritual practice. And he told me, he goes, I leave 20% of my day free, 20%. And I said, what do you mean? And he's like, well, you know, if you're back-to-back scheduled all day long,

how are you going to have the big ideas and how are you going to process what you learned and thought about and how are you going to bring that cortisol down? He didn't even say the word cortisol. But in my mind, I was like, oh, that's interesting. He's like, oh, I just go for a walk quickly, maybe for 20 minutes, 40 minutes, whatever, or I'll leave some time and in case something runs over, I have that extra buffer. And he's like, my time is never, or you can go work out. He's like, you never want to have a day, if possible, where you don't have that time.

And for me, Alana, that was as an entrepreneur at the time, very young, knew. That was a game changer because I thought I wasn't allowed to keep any space. that if I was, I was lazy or I didn't want this hard enough. And I was that person. Like, I would be on this amazing call. And then I would be like, oh, I'm late for the next thing. And I couldn't really be present because I was always on a time crunch trying to fit in as much as possible. And then I didn't have time to kind of really think through what I wanted to do. So that actually really changed my life and changed my cortisol level. So we know that going into nature is a way to reduce cortisol. We also know that sleeping enough is a way to lower cortisol. And we also know, obviously,

dietary things that we can do to lower cortisol. So I started to implement this. And the change in my work to change it from being back-to-back jam-packed to having wiggle room to process my thoughts, to maybe take that call and let it go a little bit longer, maybe I have a new idea that I want to pursue and really gave me that space and really brought down my cortisol so I could be present and in the moment rather than always like rushing to the next thing. What would be your tip? Because again, entrepreneurship is hard and sometimes even just having a job is hard, right? No matter where you are, you can lose your boundaries really, really quick. And to guard those boundaries, you actually need to be very intentional, very strategic with guarding those boundaries.

how do you see it for yourself and what works for you? I make sure that I get a little bit of buffer in the morning. So one of the biggest tips I have for entrepreneurs or for people who are trying to manage their stress is don't have a rushed morning. So whether that means getting up a little bit earlier, so you have some downtime or whether that means starting things a little bit later, but really having a what I call a slow morning is something that I think changes the game, getting sunlight, getting a healthy breakfast with 30 grams of protein and getting some movement, maybe mindfulness, that opportunity is not going to present itself later in the day for most people. And so taking that moment to reset yourself, that has become a non-negotiable for me. So everywhere I go,

anything I do, like I always try to keep a little buffer, even if it's something short, like five to ten minutes and sometimes it's longer like one hour, I have that way to start my day. And I think entrepreneurship can get really wild, really quick. And I think you can literally just be the ducky that is like, you know, kicking on the water. And I still feel that way. So for example, yesterday was Monday. And I had gotten back from a trip. And I was my old self.

I was almost like in a frozen fighter flight mode. And I had to say to myself, okay, you need to calm down, go for a walk. think this through. You don't need to be glued to your notifications and on a constant state of stress. Like you don't even know where you are. You don't know if you've eaten. You don't know what time it is. You know, that whole feeling. And I think everybody gets there some days. And I'm doing a book launch right now. And so that happened to me. And I had to bring myself back. And I said, no, this is not how I want to live my life. And so today I was very intentional about changing that mindset into I don't need to be rushing. I don't need this to be done this second and really managing my cortisol and my

nervous system. And honestly, whenever I do that, I feel better and I work better. I do better things. That's so true. Even my team knows that if I'm going to go on a hike, I actually going to operate better as a leader. Yes. Yes. It's like, so my team, if I'm like annoying, they're like, just go on a hike. I'm like, okay, I'm out. And I told my team, so before when I used to go on trips, like travel, I would want to make the most of it. And so my team would help fill the schedule. And so I would do my routine at home, but when I was traveling, I wasn't. And I was noticing that I was feeling burned out, that I was feeling that nervous energy

was coming back. And so now I even say when we're traveling, I need that time in the morning. I need a little space between things so that I don't feel overwhelmed. And I want to maintain that level of being present and openness as much as possible. So also a question around personal branding because you built in a really short time some really impactful personal brand. For those who don't know, you know, I mean, Mel Robbins, you know, reached out to you and talked to you about her health and had her you on her podcast, which is a big deal. I think for a lot of people, how did you do it in such a short time? How did you get people like Mill Robbins to reach out?

Like, what would be some of your tips? I think honestly, I'm telling you that when I started to get more intentional with my time and my work, like this whole getting your mind right and not just spinning your wheels, I think it can be really, really tempting to be in that fighter flight mode where you're just taking every opportunity. Like you want to do it all, right? I want to do this, this, this, this, this, and what you end up doing is really wasting a lot of time and not being intentional. So I really started to see, okay, what is it that I want to say? What is it that's resonating with the audience? Where do I want to grow and what direction do I want to go? And really having an intention behind the work I was doing. And that's what really helped me grow. It's like I, instead of being like, I'm going everywhere, doing everything. I'm everyone. I'm every doctor for everybody. Really understanding what I wanted, what my intention was and what the audience wanted from me and really doing that. And so I think, that whole premise of having the walk or the hike or the time to process what was happening

and kind of take that into the direction. That's when I have the best ideas is when I'm not in a fight or flight mode because biologically, your body, when your nervous system is activated, it cannot think critically. And so if you have a big problem to solve or a big decision to make, you need that nervous system to calm down, you need that cortisol to come down, to be able to make it in a proper way. And especially for women, we are even more wired to be cortisol sensitive. And so I think that was really when the growth started is when I started to understand what I wanted, what the audience wanted, what was working, what direction I should go in because of the intentions that I had. And I love it. We call it a zone of genius when you're kind of

understanding like what is that thing that I want to focus on? Because yes, I can do all of it, but all of it just will not stick, right? So what is that thing that I really want to be known for and how do I amplify it? So I love that, Amy. And the other thing that happened very recently, probably in the last year or so, is not trying to be like someone else. And I think that is a really important point. I think we all look up to entrepreneurs and there's people who are doing such amazing things and you want to be like them. And so you maybe want to start doing things like them. But what I started to realize is that the more you are yourself, the better it becomes because nobody can be you and you can't be anybody else. So I think that really stepping into your own

individuality, your own strengths, what you need, your work day, your work, your team, none of that has to look like the next person. And so that has really helped me in the last year or so. I love that. And I think that. that is so important because we're so good about comparing us to others, but we're not others. We're ourselves and nobody's going to be better at doing us. I just love that tip. Do you think there's something, Amy, in your childhood, except for the accident that you talked about, but in your childhood that maybe that people don't necessarily know, but that you built you to who you are today? I grew up in India until I was five years old. Literally, it was so.

rural where we were living, that there was like a horse carriage that took us to school, like preschool. And there was communities where everybody just lived almost communally in communities. And so when I came to America, there was a very big reason that my parents brought me there. They knew that as a woman, as a girl, that I would have more opportunities to live out my gifts and make an impact in the world than from where I came from. And so I knew I needed to do something that was the reason they came here. I needed to do something that could make an impact. And that's why I was so unhappy when I started my medical career because I was like, oh my God, all this work and all this time.

And now I'm not really doing work that I really love or that I'm proud of. And so it took me a long time to get to the place that I wanted to be. But once I got there, I knew it. Wow. How did they react to your moving into where you are now? My mom was, of course, worried. She was like, oh, my God, what are you doing? Are you going to be able to sustain your career? Like, how are you going to make money if you're like doing this thing on the internet? So it took them a while to understand. But now, of course, they've always been, but they're definitely my biggest fans. And they really did teach me that it's okay to do whatever you want to do and to take risk. I think I learned from my dad. He took a huge risk. He left his entire career and family, and so did my mom to come to a new country. Like, I can't even imagine doing that and starting from scratch and to build the real American dream.

Oh, such a good share. By the way, where in India? My family is from Grodrath. But at the time, when I was growing up, my dad had a job in this small town called Nassik, and that's where the horse carriage and kind of rural place was. Yeah, we just came back from two weeks of cycling in India. So that was like, where were you? Rajasthan. So I grew all the way to J-FOR. Yes. Oh, cool. So beautiful. Wow. It was one of the best experience of my life for sure. Yeah. So Amy, if you could go back in time to your younger self, what would you say to her? And maybe that is somewhere around that car accident or maybe it's right before. What would you say to yourself?

honestly I would say to myself one I would say go for it and two I would say you have to save yourself so a lot of the time that I spent growing up and in medical school and all this I thought that there was going to be a medicine or a person or some kind of secret that would save me and I would find success and happiness and I realized over the years that you have to create that you have to create the happiness you have to create the success like you have to save yourself And so that was one of the things I would have told her earlier. That's so powerful. And I think there's a saying, and I might be butchering it, but it's basically like the worst part is not a bad career path because that's when it's screaming at you.

Get out, get out, get out, get out. But it's actually a good career path that isn't yours. Yes. And I think that's the harder one for you to wake up and say, I'm climbing the wrong ladder. This is not my ladder. Yeah. That's exactly what happened to me that where I had to. to understand. But the problem with medicine for a lot of people, you know, could probably be related

is there is no other ladder. There's just one ladder. And so it was like nobody knew how to get off that ladder and go to a different ladder because there wasn't one. And so that was a real hard part for me. It's like, do I build something new? Because there's nothing else to do in my world. And that's what you did. I mean, and now look at your impact and how many people you can touch. Yeah, I mean, I just wish now that I had gone for it sooner, honestly. I say exactly the same. So I love that story, Amy. Thank you for coming in the show and sharing it. It's so beautiful. Oh, I'm so grateful that it was so fun to talk about that. Okay, so what I want to do now is read you one of the most beautiful reviews that we got. It's on Apple Podcast. You can find it. It's a

five-star review from Euphoretic. I don't know who you are. You have to write me because this is one of the most beautiful reviews I've ever received, and I want to read it to you. So go for a walk with Ilana. Five-star review Ilana Golan-Lieh podcast. That rare thing, a cadence of conversation, not unlike a well-struck bell, clear, resonant, and above all useful. It doesn't shout at you with a brash certainties of bumper-sticker wisdom. No, it leans in, it listens. Then it offers something of value. Imagine this. A fire, quietly kindled, not for a spackable, but for warmth. That's the energy Lana brings. Each episodes unfold like a well-crafted story, told in a quiet tavern on a cold night. One, where the air thick and the truths and

experiences, and no one has anything to prove. The guests, these industry leaders, these builders, innovators, risk-takers, aren't brought on a parade. Their victories like trophies. No, they come bearing something far more precious, their stories. The hard one, scarred over, truth of what actually works, what doesn't, and why. But it isn't just a story that shined. It's the questions. Ah, the questions. Kolan's questions are not of clumsy sort meant merely to pass time or prompt performance. They're more like keys. Turned gently, measured, intentional. She unlocks insight where others would have found only surface. Her voice is steady, full of curiosity, tempered by wisdom. She walked her own road, and it shows.

That's the kind of earned empathy in her tone, and it calls something real out of those she speaks with. Then there's the gifts, the moments you scramble for your phone, trying to tap a note before the idea slips back into the ether. Tools, perspectives, reframe, not platitudes, but practical offering. These are the sort of ideas you can set on your desk next to your coffee and put to work before lunch. No pretence, no corporate polished masking emptiness, just conversations that matter.

where clarity meets heart and where every listener walks away, a bit more able, a bit more equipped, a bit more awake. To listen to Ilana Gulan podcast is to be reminded that success is not an accident, nor it's a formula. It's a pattern of intentional acts, often born of failure, always forged in humility. And when someone helps you see that pattern, well, that's the kind of magic, isn't it? Highly recommended. Oh my God, you touched my heart. I have to know who you are. You have to write me. And thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And for all of you, if you enjoyed the podcast, please go and add a five-star review and write us a few notes. It doesn't need to be that long and it doesn't have to be that beautiful. Every single review makes it all worth it.

I mean, a podcast is a lot of work. It's an endless hours. It's a lot of thoughts. And if you do appreciate it, it means the world when you can give us a five-star review and just give a few kind words. And now to the Q&A. So remember once a week, I go to my YouTube channel and I kind of look at the comments and then I pick one that has a really good question and I bring this question to you. So the question today is from Joe. And he basically says, hey, I'm in my 50s and I'm afraid it might be too hard to find a job. What do I do? And that's such a great question because I want to tell all of you, ageism exists. And we can tell stories about whether it's allowed. And we can tell stories. not allowed, all of these things, but none of this matters. The truth is it exists. So what we need to do

is explain to people why they need to hire you because of your age, because of your experience, because of that combination of skills, expertise that you bring to the table that nobody else has. So let me give you an example. And again, in mid to late stage career, we're judged differently, especially now in the era of AI, especially in the lack of trust economy. So everything shifts. So your brand is what needs to tell that story. But your story is where everything is. And I'll give you an example. So if I'm a hiring manager and somebody in their 50s are coming and somebody in the 30s

are coming and they're both interviewed to the same exact role and they say exactly the same kind of story, they have the same exact experience. Which one do you choose? Of course you're going to choose the 30-year-old. And again, you can tell stories about. why not and, you know, ages. But the truth is that's the reality. They always going to choose the younger version, but here's the catch. If you say the same story, there's absolutely no reason somebody's in their 50s will have exactly the same story as somebody in the 30s, right? So my only

question is, are you telling the right story? So what I want you to really think about is, according to where you're going, according to the next role, according to the next job, what are the real reason. What are the 50 reasons why they need to hire you? Why would they be lucky to have you? What is that combination of skills, expertise, connections that you have, things that you achieve, challenges you went through, places where you got awards, places where people are already intrigued by you? What are all these things against success leaves clues? So what are all these reasons why they're going to be so lucky to have you? And now the question is, is the hiring manager trying to find somebody junior?

And in that case, you might not be the right fit and you just dodge a bullet and you're happy that you're not there. Or they're actually looking for somebody to make a big impact in the organization. So give them the reason, give them the stories, give them the, not the 30,000 foot view

that everybody else can claim. Like, everybody can say they're innovative and problem solver and hardworking. Like, everybody can say the same thing. But if you can weave in those stories, those 50 reasons why you are, they're going to be so lucky to have you specifically because this is what you've been doing. These are the achievement. These are the results. This is what you create. This is who you work with. If you can actually tell a story that will make them say,

oh my God, this is why I want them more than anyone. That's the key. Okay. So ageism is one by a very strong story by really taking into account all the things that you achieved and how it's relevant for that opportunity. Again, it's not about you. It's how this is relevant how it's going to move the needle for the hiring manager, for the company, for the team, et cetera. And your brand needs to tell that story. It's not enough that it's only your words if you don't walk the whack. So they're going to look at your LinkedIn. They're going to Google your name. Is your brand telling that story? And if it's not, then you need to do something about it. And we can always help you in Leap Academy.

But I want to make sure that you tell the right story and you show up as that hero that they want in the company because of your age, not despite of your age. Okay, so I hope you enjoy the show and I will see you soon. Remember this episode is not just for you and me. You never know whose life you're meant to change by sharing this episode with them. And if you love today's episode,

please click the subscribe or download button for the show and give it a five-star review, this really means the world. Join me in helping tens of millions of individuals reinvent their career and leap into their full potential. Look, getting intentional and strategic with your career is now more important than ever. The skills for success have changed. AQ, adaptability, reinventing and leaping, are today the most important skills for the future of work.

Building portfolio careers, multiple streams of income and ventures, are no longer and nice to have. It's a must have, but no one is teaching this except for us in Leap Academy. So if you want more from your career in life, go to Leapacademy.com slash training. Check out our completely free training about ways to fast track your career. You'll even be able to book a completely free career strategy call with my team. So go to leapacademy.com slash training.