The Amanda Dake Show

What happens when you can't find what you're looking for?  Lea Woodford creates it. From broadcasting school where they told her at 19 her career had an expiration date, to founding her own media empire and a private jet company, Lea Woodford has built everything on one principle: frustration is fuel. In this conversation, Lea breaks down her journey from local media to luxury branding, revealing...

Just because you can do it all doesn't mean you should. If you're a high-achieving entrepreneur who's exhausted from doing everything yourself, this conversation is your wake-up call.  Strategic advisor Amanda Dake breaks down why capable leaders get trapped in misalignment, doing tasks that drain their energy and stall their growth. We dive into: • The "just because you can" trap- and why it's ki...

Andrew Chesnutt didn't plan to build a seven-figure business. He planned to keep his job. When that was taken from him, he had to figure out what he was actually good at — and what he found changed everything. In this episode Andrew talks about the pivot from corporate trainer to entrepreneur, why most webinars fail and what to do instead, the power of story over features, and the small inner circ...

What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling. Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritiona...

What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling. Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritiona...

At 83, most people slow down. John Graham just hit 120,000 followers. But the real story isn't the numbers — it's what it took to get there.  A teenage freighter worker. A war correspondent in Algeria. A US Foreign Service officer in Libya and Vietnam. A shipwreck survivor in the North Pacific.  And one moment, freezing in a lifeboat during a typhoon, where a voice forced him to answer the only qu...

What does it actually take to become an AI coach — with zero AI background?  Rob Cressy walked away from corporate America 16 years ago to chase a sports broadcasting dream. Three career pivots later, a pandemic wiped out his entire industry overnight. Then in December 2022, a single text message introduced him to ChatGPT — and everything changed. In this episode, Rob breaks down his Human AI Sand...

What does it look like when someone successful finally admits they're living at a 6? James Friel had the career — the titles, the bonuses, the offer to run global marketing from London. And he said no.  James Friel is the founder of J Street Financial and a serial entrepreneur who has built everything from digital consultancies to ghost kitchens to financial advisory firms. But before all of that,...

Forbes Riley generated $2.5 billion in sales — and she'll tell you it had nothing to do with "selling." In this conversation, Forbes Riley, known as The Queen of Pitch, breaks down the communication skill that most professionals never learn — and why it changes everything from the boardroom to the dinner table. Forbes shares the childhood struggle that became her superpower, the accidental auditio...

After 25 years in a high-paying pharmaceutical sales career, Kathleen Chabus had everything that looks like success on paper: income, status, stability. But inside, it felt like being on the wrong bus and never getting off. Safety became a cage. In this conversation, Kathleen shares how "golden handcuffs" kept her in a role that didn't fit, why the "condition trap" ("once X happens, then I'll fina...

Most corporate dumpster fires do not start as crises. They start as conversations that never happen. In this episode, Amanda Dake sits down with leadership communications expert Heather Lisle, the person organizations call when internal issues quietly escalate into full scale problems. This conversation follows a clear how it started, how it's going arc. Heather shares her early career inside gove...

How it started: A respected surgeon signing what looked like a standard contract. How it's going: A federal prison consultant warning others about the "Kickback Trap" that cost him his freedom. Dr. Alap Shah's story is the ultimate "how it started vs. how it's going" cautionary tale. In this episode, we trace the full arc of his journey- from the height of his medical career to the day he reported...

In this episode of the  Amanda Dake Podcast , Amanda joins Lia Dunlap on the Oracle On Purpose Podcast for a conversation about making a decision before everything is figured out. Amanda shares a personal story from early in her career, the moment she walked into her administrator's office and said she wouldn't be returning to teaching the next year. There was no plan and no safety net. Just a cle...

Most people believe growth requires destruction. Quit the job. Start over. Burn the bridge. That is not always true. In this episode, Amanda Dake sits down with Julie Rowlett , a mathematics professor whose work spans theoretical math, physics, game theory, and entrepreneurship. Julie shares how a lifelong career in abstract mathematics expanded into building Kluero , an AI-driven platform designe...

Stop creating offers nobody wants. Learn how to validate demand BEFORE you launch so you can build profitable offers that actually sell. Former teacher turned ClickFunnels certified partner reveals the exact framework for testing if your offer will convert. Discover why most entrepreneurs waste months building offers that flop and how to align your business with what the market actually wants. Plu...

Jay Larson followed a traditional path for most of his life. College, career, family, stability. He could have stayed a few more years and retired comfortably. Instead, he made a different choice. In this episode, Jay and Amanda talk about what it really looks like to choose growth later in life, without blowing up everything you've built. This is an honest conversation about work, identity, time,...

Choosing the right idea is the part most people overthink, especially if you've been in your career for 20 or 30 years and have a lifetime of experience to pull from. The truth is, you don't start with the offer. You start with the decision. In this episode, I walk through how to choose the idea that actually fits your life, your goals, and the way you want to work. If you've been spinning between...

What makes good copy actually work? In this episode, I talk with Sani Nielsen, a copywriter and marketing strategist who believes that great copywriting isn't just about words, but connection. We dig into how understanding your audience, their awareness level, and their journey can completely change the way you write and sell. Sani shares why she sees the traditional sales funnel differently, expl...

This episode goes beyond recovery, it's about rebuilding life and business from the inside out. Amy Charlesworth, a veteran and mental health advocate, shares her powerful story of overcoming PTSD, rediscovering purpose, and helping others find healing after trauma. We talk about healing, awareness, purpose, and what it really means to step back into who you were always meant to be — even after li...

Millions of business owners are preparing to transition out of businesses they have built,  creating one of the biggest waves of opportunity in decades. Dr. Dave Pennington joins Amanda Dake to talk about the "Silver Tsunami," what it means for professionals in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and how to turn experience into advantage. They discuss what it looks like to create new opportunities without st...

On this episode of the Amanda Dake Show, Bill Flynn shares his insights on leadership, scaling businesses, and creating exponential impact. Learn how to move from being the "doer" to the "architect," build effective teams, and leverage systems and AI to maximize results . Key Takeaways: Stop being the hero; create systems that let your team operate independently Multiply your leadership impact acr...

How To Lead With Purpose in the AI Era Leadership is changing fast. In this episode, I sit down with Donna Kent , founder of New Life Consultants , to talk about how connection, service, and self-awareness drive meaningful leadership even as technology reshapes the way we work. 🎙 Inside this episode: ✔️ How Donna went from 25 years at Xerox to building purpose-driven organizations ✔️ The power of...

Sometimes, the best way forward is to pause, breathe, and create. In this episode, I sit down with Rubina Chadha, a mindfulness and creative transformation coach, to talk about how to use simple practices like breathwork, meditation, and creative expression to find calm again. We also dig into Human Design and how knowing how you're wired can make decisions feel lighter instead of forced. Rubina b...

What if your next big move in business wasn't a new funnel… but the right partnership? In this episode, I sat down with Clinton Senkow- partnership strategist, entrepreneur, and former pro hockey player- to talk about the real power of collaboration in business, how to pivot when things no longer feel aligned, and what role AI plays in scaling faster (without burning out). We covered so much, from...

Get paid for what you already know. If you're a professional with years of experience, you don't need to start over—you just need to package what you already do in a way that people can buy online. Inside this episode: ✔️ A simple way to turn your knowledge into something people will pay for—without adding more work to your day. ✔️ How professionals are making money online from their expertise (wi...