We recently connected with Amy Hooper Hanna and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

While I try to stay away from acronyms as jargon in everyday business language, I am a huge fan of acronyms as mnemonic devices. I’m also a huge fan of creative business names. Amy Hooper Hanna & Associates is not a creative business name. So it was truly destiny that I found the first letters of my own full name could be positioned as a word that encapsulates my business mission and personal joy — Ah HA! — sparking insight, ideas, improvement and impact in others. Enlightened coaching and consulting for people leaders is what I do! Of course, when you google that word, there are several businesses that share that same spirit — so I took the time to differentiate myself by placing emphasis on the HA! (laughter is a big part of my life). Note that my associates are my kids and my cat, a precious team that truly provides me valuable feedback, support and smiles every day.

Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

To me, some of the most important elements of consulting are creative thinking, gaining and sharing unique, deep and broad expertise, and building collaborative and supportive relationships. How I got into the consulting industry is a combination of chances, choices, personal destiny and universal design. I feel so fortunate that people and experiences in my life have encouraged in me a sense of curiosity, adventure, taking a chance and trusting in what life has to offer. Coming from a line of writers, artists, intellectuals and Vermont farmers, my creative side was organically encouraged at a very young age. Reading, writing, drawing, silliness, imaginative play and an appreciation for the outdoors and all that is natural are at my roots. I had a hearty family of mostly male cousins and was the youngest in a family of four growing up. I was fairly shy, but moving with my dad’s newspaper job a few times, I learned the importance of belonging, and how to speak up, engage and make new friends as well as keep the old. I have always treasured relationships and connection.
My adventurous side did get me into various types of trouble with some said friends, though the experiences, lessons learned (and bonds formed) have been invaluable. My parents were wise to direct my adventurous spirit into opportunities like Outward Bound, where I lived a gritty life on a sailboat with other degenerate teens for three weeks around the coast of Maine, survived solo on an island, was exposed to extreme mental and physical challenges and dealt with adversity.
I had a stint in the speech and debate club at my small Maine high school, and my ability to excel in the dramatic monologue category got me to the Drama Department at Syracuse University. When I learned I was not going to become readily famous on a sitcom and that there was actually a method I was to apply to what I thought was a natural ability, I became disillusioned, and ended up transferring to a smaller private college in upstate New York where I got play on the field hockey team and went deep into social sciences with fascinating professors who provided focused attention and enlightenment.
I also signed up to participate in the Semester at Sea program my senior year, sailing around the world, this time on a large old ship, visiting and exploring several countries with hundreds of other students, while taking college credit classes. What an incredible experience being exposed to so many cultures and living a life at sea for 100 days. This literally provided me with global perspective.
After graduating from college, I went back to Maine to my regular summer job in the city newspaper advertising department. A position opened up to be the lead in the Special Features Department, and while the manager told me I had big shoes to fill, especially at such a young age, she gave me a chance. And it was great!
Despite my success and satisfaction, a year into it, a Vermont cousin lured me out to ski in Telluride, Colorado. Subscribing to the “you only live once” mantra, and with gratitude for my manager and coworkers who collected money for my trip (this was before GoFundMe was even cool), I accepted the invitation and ventured out West for a winter and spring season of outdoor beauty and scrapping together every odd job you can imagine.
I started missing the physical and mental nature of the east coast (turns out I was not as laid back and chill as I suspected). My best friend from childhood had moved from Maine to Washington D.C. and invited me to take the spot of a roommate moving out. The departing roommate happened to be a graphic designer and offered to introduce me to a temp agency for creative types. I interviewed with that agency and while the owner said my ‘resume was really not impressive (“ski lift operator”?!), the consulting firm across the street was desperate, as their entire communications team was on maternity leave’, and he would fax my info over. He did. I got the interview with the Communications Practice Manager, and she asked me to start immediately. I like to think it was my hippie hair and nose ring combined with the tweed suit that got me the job. Note the theme of giving someone a chance.
That temp job turned into a permanent position with the Communications Practice of this global consulting firm, where I was exposed to various companies, industries and levels of management, and got to be creative with writing, design, production, project management and strategy for global corporate companies. It was “baptism by fire” as they liked to call it; I was given the opportunity to do things I didn’t even know existed, with very little guidance and seemed impossible with deadlines. “It always works out” was another mantra shared with me there that proved true and has carried me through to this day.
The consulting firm hired a leader to start the Organization Effectiveness practice, located on the same floor, and without a team yet, he relied on me for communications support. This led to me becoming his first official team member. Best manager ever. Literally took me under his wing to all consulting engagements and client meetings. Made the time to teach me and involve me in everything he did. Asked for and valued my input. Entrusted me with assignments and made himself available for guidance. Offered me on-the-job and outside training opportunities and paid and rewarded me well. The care, support and respect were empowering.
My background in social sciences and communication served me with employee survey design, focus groups, trend analysis and summary presentations. I loved the behind-the-scenes “what really goes on in companies” knowledge I was gaining, so much experience and enlightenment around the mysteries of employee engagement and management. Human psychology and sociology at its best.
So that’s how I got into the consulting industry. That best manager ever and I went on to build a larger team and practice over the next several years. Until I found myself adventuring to Pittsburgh for a relationship, and eventually marriage and babies. I offered to start an office there, but the D.C. Office Manager said, “Thank you for that idea and research. You can work from anywhere, Amy, we trust you. Work from your car if you want. Your manager and I know you’ll get the job done.” Talk about giving someone a chance. I moved to Pittsburgh, traveled back to the D.C. office as necessary, becoming one of the first telework pioneers. This was 25 years ago, long before remote and hybrid work was cool!
After baby number 2, I decided the travel and workload weren’t working well for me anymore, and I went independent. That’s when I started AhHA! My first consulting project was with the D.C. firm, since they needed me to transition out. A few months later, my best manager ever transitioned out of the firm and started his own consulting business. And he invited me to be his partner on employee engagement and communications projects, which I was for several more years. Until he retired. And I was getting divorced after baby #3. I needed a new steady, stable income.
I was at a happy hour in my Pittsburgh neighborhood where I met the VP of a talent management firm, who asked me what I did. When I told him, he thought I’d be perfect for a new product the firm had just developed to assess the behavior of first-level managers via an online simulated experience. I provided him my resume (which was more impressive by this date), interviewed for the position, and got the job. Which quickly expanded into a global behavioral assessment training role, and assessing competencies of all levels of leadership, and coaching their development. In ten years, I learned an incredible amount about what can make or break a leader, and how essential communication is to EVERYTHING.
By the time Covid hit in March of 2020, I had been feeling growing dissatisfaction with management at my company. It was a blessing to be temporarily laid off and have a break to rethink what I was doing. My AhHA! business had taken a backseat to my AHHH! life as a single mom with three kids. With no local family, a rough divorce and chronic hardship, I was really struggling and had been for many years. I loved my work, but I was mentally and emotionally done, both personally and professionally. I was burnt out and suffering. I knew it was time for a change. A new adventure.
I decided to risk going with only what lights me up and carve out the bullshit, risk saying, ‘no more, I’m done with that’ and move on to what I trust will be a crazy good thing. Could I financially afford to just listen more to my heart, act more in line with my soul? No. But something was telling me it was worth the risk. Scratch that – I FELT it would be worth the risk. Actually, I knew I couldn’t afford to NOT risk doing that. I was at a place where I was just plain done experiencing grief.
So, it was in late 2021/early 2022 when I started revamping my AhHA! business. I did A LOT of personal and professional transformation work during the pandemic, taking every (free) opportunity I could to learn and develop a business that lights me up and incorporates what I do best. I combined what I love about each phase of my 30-year career: coaching, training and speaking about the art and science of communication, employee engagement and leadership, making people leadership easier with practical wisdom that works. I considered my values, personal priorities and needs in how I would operate.
I design my own coaching, workshops and talks based on my deep and broad insider knowledge of leadership and communication. With a knack for seeing trends and patterns that others don’t, and having both a strategic and pragmatic mind, I have distilled intangible elements of leadership into secrets to success, critical insight, a simple strategy and provide tools and even language to make engaging employees easy. I am passionate about helping companies, individuals, and teams communicate in ways that truly matter. And I like to do it creatively.
Uniquely, I’ve been collecting the most effective phrases and best practices in leadership communication for decades. What’s the best thing to say in certain situations? I can tell you what works and what doesn’t through direct experience and years of observation. My own personality assessments all tip the scale on interpersonal relationship and emotional and social skills. I’ve been applying the intelligence gained from my work and life experience to how I communicate and have seen the incredibly positive impact on people and relationships firsthand.
I help people learn to communicate more impactfully and achieve success with others faster. There are distinct ways to lead more effectively, better engage and win others over, increase your emotional intelligence, amplify your interpersonal effectiveness and advance your personal development. I provide relief to leaders – where to focus to get the biggest bang for the buck. What to say to get your way more easily!
What sets me apart from others? I keep it very real. I operate with a balance of objectivity, subjectivity, authenticity and informal professionalism and humor. I tend to use candid, colorful language, communicate expressively and quickly create warm emotional connections. I’m an excellent listener who wants to understand; I peel back the layers and connect the dots, asking insightful questions that spark new thought and forward movement. I help people get to the bottom of things and find new solutions to just about anything. I show them that there is always an option, an opportunity, and a resource that can be utilized. With a keen understanding of people, I inspire others to reach goals and optimal results through creative ideas and actions. I help people live an enlightened and empowered life that feels good to them and those around them.
What am I most proud of? My relationship with and respect for my kids. My ability to see humor in the most absurdly horrible. And that I co-wrote an Amazon best seller that is truly making a meaningful difference in people’s lives; For She Who Grieves: Practical Wisdom for Living Hope.
I am passionate about evoking self-revelation and new perspective in myself and others, sharing practical strategies and insight based on research and experience, and generating creative ideas and steps forward – so we can all be the best version of ourselves and live a positively impactful life with others.
Relationships matter. Respect matters. Connection is key. Focus on the heart. Do yourself and the world a favor — find out how to do this best with yourself and others. You will never regret it.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

For me, my clientele has grown most effectively via references and referrals though positive personal connections and authentic relationships. Also by partnering in efforts with others (accepting an invitation to co-lead something, offering to be on a panel, finding a wing person, etc.). So — referrals. testimonials, word of mouth based on people’s personal experiences with me. Networking events where there are opportunities to be introduced and start an authentic conversation. It pays to get out there in person and have real conversations with people. Ask people what they need, what problem they are trying to solve, what’s their biggest challenge, how you can help. If it’s not you, offer a resource and share the lead. Form a team of referral partners with whom you can trade leads and favors. Support people. Go to events where your clients might be. Ask good questions. Be curious, be interested. Observe. Listen. Care. Reach out to past and potential project partners, former coworkers, friends in business to see how you can help them be successful and let them know specifically what type of opportunities and clients you are looking for, too. Simply asking someone what help they are looking for and helping them in some way has opened many doors for me, even if the help they need isn’t me. It’s the acts of kindness and assistance that people remember (and how you made them feel) and prompt them to share your name with others.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A resource that had a huge positive impact on me was Juliette Stapleton’s Marketing Blueprint by Design report, and her presentation on how Human Design can be used to create a profitable business that feels personally aligned. When I was re-starting my business (to do what lights me up and carve out what drains me), I had fallen into the trap of being distracted and confused by all the marketing expert advice out there, and it was really getting in the way of progress. This report provided me with personalized recommendations for how I could lean into my own personal energetics to fuel my brand voice and identity so the correct people come into my business because of me, who I am and how I make them feel while helping them. Interestingly, it absolutely confirmed what prompted the reenergization of my AhHA! business in the first place — that the most critical compass for me is to do what lights me up and follow what feels right and trust what my gut is pulling me towards. I know when I’m energized by an opportunity everybody benefits, and when I’m depleted by it, no one does. As a solopreneur, this gave me confidence to trust that I am meant to do things differently. The insight, strategies and suggestions in the report were practical, personal and spot on and significantly impacted my entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy. She also has a book out called, On Marketing and Human Design.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ahha-consulting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForSheWhoGrieves/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hooper-hanna/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ahha-amy-hooper-hanna-associates https://www.amazon.com/She-Who-Grieves-Practical-Wisdom/dp/1958481998
• https://juliettestapleton.com/