We recently connected with Amanda Greaves and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I made a drastic pivotal career shift in 2022 and walked away from a successful Interior Design company to pursue my dream of writing a book, and “taking the show on the road” as a motivational public speaker. My mission, as I was writing, became as clear as day – hundreds of lessons are embedded in my stories, and through the healing process of uncovering the lessons, I have developed strategies and roadmaps to help others uncover their limiting beliefs, align with their driving force, and start living a more fulfilling and joyful life. My mission – to connect with as many women (and men) who are wanting more. More fulfillment. More Joy. More purpose. More connection. More inner peace. And to show them how to make different choices, how to change their habits, and how to embrace the opportunities that present themselves once we start peeling back our own layers of insecurities and limiting beliefs. By doing the work myself, I can speak and teach from experience just how valuable the tears can be, and how cathartic the process is, if we as individuals, and as groups, allow vulnerability to be a powerful tool in owning our worth, rather than perceiving it as a weakness in our unintentional self-sabotage. My mission, to be fun, loving and inspirational as I help to enhance the lives of others through compassion, my voice, and heart-felt connections.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been in the Design and Construction industries for over 20 years, running my own design firm for the past 13. I published my first book, The Chameleon Diaries, Designing a Life Worth Changing For, in February 2024 and am confidently presenting in the platforms of motivational speaking and empowerment consulting. As an Interior Designer in the Construction industry, I got burnt out and decided to shift away from finishes and fixtures, towards more feelings and fulfillment, which is why I am practicing the art of embracing change, and more effective communication. My aim is to empower women (and men) in all industries to take back their power as business owners or employees and become more aligned with their passions and their professions, and declare their own self-discovery journey as part of their life’s vision, and aim towards more fulfillment and joy.

I am an empowerment and inspirational speaker and consultant. I present keynote speeches tailored to the event or industry; I facilitate mastermind courses with clients which give them the tools and framework to uncover their limiting beliefs, understand their value and belief systems at a core level; and I generate individual and corporate strategy sessions (half day, full day, 2-day) which empower the member to move forward on their life’s mission and intended legacy.

I solve the problems of self-doubt and unworthiness.
My message is Embrace Change.
My uniqueness is vulnerability is a superpower.
And I believe that deeper connections and stronger communication standards are how we can reach out greatest dreams.

My fans and clients are most enthralled by my ability to empathize and understand their challenges on a deep level within moments of connecting. I work mostly with women (some men) and have been praised for my ‘cut to the chase’ methods, and confidence to say it like it is with clarity, respect and grace.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2022, one of my largest clients refused to pay his large outstanding invoices and coupled the insult with inappropriate sexual advances. When he informed me via email that our design services were no longer necessary because he had found a less pricey designer (I hadn’t raised my prices on his projects in over 4 years), I concluded it wasn’t worth the aggravation and stress, so I fired him. This was a huge deal, considering his projects had been almost half of our revenue stream for the previous 3 years.

In additional to that, I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship with a covert narcissist for almost three years (nobody plans this, and these kinds of relationships are challenging to get out of), and found out, the day after I had to fire my client, that the boyfriend had another girlfriend the entire time we had been together. My nervous system and emotional defenses had been dismantled so much I broke down and lurched myself off the roller coaster of abuse and nonsense once and for all.

I then took the following year off from my design career and from the carefully curated world I had been living in for 20 years, cocooned myself at home and wrote a book that helped me calm my nervous system down, and asses my entire life from the inside out.

The writing process brought to the surface not only the problems I was facing, but the root causes and their origination points. I learned that some of the baggage I had safely protected for decades didn’t even belong to me, and when I was able to recognize the repeated habits, negative thought and behavioral patterns and reasons to why I had endured as much as I had, I found my greater calling, and life’s purpose hiding behind layers of fear and self-doubt, shrouded in shame and unworthiness.

Working through “the work” my soul had always intended me to do, I discovered that my vulnerability was a superpower and pathway to connection with others, and began exploring the opportunities of fulfillment within this superpower, and have chifted not only my mindset, but my entire life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2008 I got laid off for the first time, divorced for the second, and had to move from a three bed, 2 bath house on the water, to a 500 SqFt studio apartment in the woods. Then I got the swine flu for 2 weeks and became depressed, addicted to anti-depressants, and hit rock bottom. Through tears, perseverance, and the knowledge I wasn’t going to let the depression win, I got healthy, got a job, saved some money, and bought a condo a year later.

I was able to bounce back from this triple threat of a situation because I had already had experience in all four situations before, just not all at the same time.

I had been fired a few years prior because I walked in on my boss having an affair. It was an unfair situation on everyone’s part, but the fear of unemployment didn’t deter me from stepping back up to the resume plate and searching for the next right career move.

I had already been married and divorced once before right out of college, so I was aware of the seemingly inconsistent, yet guaranteed onslaught of emotional tidal waves that were going to interrupt my ability to move forward for at least six months. Relationships, although not apparently something I was that good at, were something I have a lot of experience in, so it came as no surprise to me that I was able to bounce back, and maneuver my way through the emotional tears and feelings of failure.

Moving wasn’t a big deal. By the time I was 25 I had lived in three countries, five different states, 14 different cities, and didn’t seem to keep a lot of materialistic things with me. That apartment was small, but it gave me the opportunity to downsize my belongings even further, with the anticipation of possibly living in a tiny home some day.

Getting sick, however, that was the one element that seemed to wrap all of these major life challenges into a messy bag of fear; leaving me uncertain and afraid of being alone.

After a year in the tiny apartment, I had managed to get healthy, get off my anti-depressants, find a good-paying job, and purchase my first condo. A year after that – I was in a healthy and loving relationship and started my own business with only a few thousand dollars in my bank account, and a whole lot of determination in my heart.

My ability to push through some of the greatest challenges and fears that most people only face one at a time served me well when I took a chance on myself to start a business that proved to be an award winning, 14 year old successful design firm.

I have now transitioned into the platforms of Empowerment Coaching and Motivational Speaking, where I share the vulnerable stories of my life, in the hopes of guiding women and men towards their greatest dreams and goals with a strategy, the right state of mind, and the ability to see the forest through the trees.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amandagreaves.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_greaves/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandagreaves9/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagreaves9/
• Youtube: @AmandaGreaves954

Image Credits
Carl Heyerdahl