Female Founders: Amanda Bybel On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Commitment to your focus — Rome wasn’t built in a day right? It kind of goes along with the consistency too. We have to commit to our creation so that we see results. Even when you don’t want to show up. Committing to the goal and the outcome is crucial! It is important that we are committing to what we want to create. What we want to see happen! So when we focus on WHAT WE WANT it creates evidence that we are on the right track. You’ll begin to see bits of magic everywhere. You’ll notice those tiny steps will add up to the big steps. If you happen to get caught up in focusing on what you don’t want, you’ll notice it manifesting too. So stay committed to what you want. Staying committed to the outcome is huge!

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Bybel.

Amanda Bybel is a Master Certified NLP Practitioner and Trainer, Master Certified Success & Life coach, as well as a Master Certified Hypnotherapist. Her mission is to empower women to pursue their true calling by shifting their identity and smashing their fears, so that they can create an authentic and fulfilling life, on their terms. She has helped over 100 women become the best versions of themselves through her accredited programs.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I come from a corporate finance background as a career Executive Assistant. I had always been VERY good at my job, but it didn’t “fill me up”. I knew that I was meant for so much more than filing papers and making things happen behind the scenes. I can remember one day in January 2019 when I had that “ugly cry”… if you know then you know. This one was particularly ugly… im talking mascara and snot galore. Anyway, I did what most people would do in my situation and scoured the internet for my “way out.” I came across a personal development program and I invested in it. For the first time in my life I started to achieve personal goals that I put down on paper. My whole life I was comparing my success to the CEOs and Founders that I supported, and for the first time I was taught that I get to define what success looks like to me. When I shifted the focus inward my whole life changed. Because of this simple yet transformational experience, I decided to get certified to teach the very thing that changed my life — NLP.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Since starting my company I think the most interesting thing that has happened to me was something called a “quantum leap”. I had spent so long in a cycle of “stuck” that massive growth and expansion didn’t seem like something that was possible for me. The subconscious mind is so powerful that when you tune into your beliefs and start operating from a space of “I already am the CEO” that’s exactly what begins to happen. I remember waking up one morning and I had been operating from the mentality that I already had a 6 figure business, and I realized that I actually was on track to creating it!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

One of the funniest mistakes I’ve made was thinking I can do it all. That was a huge wakeup call because in business you need support. I hired my first mentor when I started my business (it was by far one of the scariest decisions), however, it was a game changer to have someone like that in my corner! The resources that I began to have access to really changed my life.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have so many incredible people that have supported me along the way, but I would like to just express my extreme gratitude towards my husband.

o Throughout our entire relationship I had been “plotting my corporate escape” and have started countless business ventures over the years. There have been so many business ventures I embarked on. From MLMs, organic scrubs where I grew herbs in my garden, soy candle making, window washing businesses, house flipping… all the things you could literally ever imagine and nothing ever worked. Each time I would go to my husband with a new idea and he would always say he believed in me. This is the major reason why I continued to try. When I finally came across the coaching industry and personal development space, I told Brett that I wanted to make a huge investment in myself. Because I have a partner who believes in me and trusts the business choices that I make, I truly believe that is the reason why I have been able to flourish. I believe in myself and having him to continuously cheer me on and tell me to keep going has been so important.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

In my experience the belief that “I’m not worthy” or “I don’t deserve it” or “It will be hard” are the most common reasons why my students have taken this long to start their dream businesses. Because of these beliefs, it essentially creates a “reverse” manifestation of all the things that they don’t want. If you’re familiar with the law of attraction, we get what we focus on and our external reality is always a physical representation of what is going on internally. Because so many women have inherent beliefs that they “don’t deserve it” they literally will not take the steps and let fear run the show. With the work that we do with the subconscious mind, we are able to shift these beliefs so that the women are able to create impactful and meaningful businesses.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Something that has worked wonders for me is connecting to a really powerful morning routine. (yea yea I know — super fluffy right?) WRONG. A morning routine that incorporates the RIGHT actions on a daily basis can change the way you approach your day. Imagine the possibilities when you start every day at a high frequency?

o First ask yourself this: What does the CEO version of me do every single morning when she wakes up?

o What time does she wake up?

o What does she eat?

o What does she do that makes her feel amazing?

• For me, it was first understanding what characteristic that version of me was on a daily basis: ZEN, LEADER, ORGANIZED.
• So as this type of person, how can you further connect to this version of yourself on a daily basis?
• Make your bed?
• Journal?
• EFT Tapping?

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

For me, it’s so I can be here for my family and have the freedom to show up as I choose on a daily basis. Being here for my son and watching him grow is the most rewarding experience of all. For every woman it may be different, but I do think as a woman, we are raising the consciousness of the world.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

As a business owner you have to work “24/7”. If I wanted to work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week I would still be in my corporate job connected to email access and texting all the time. I think as founders and CEOs of businesses, we sometimes can fall into the cycle of “we have to answer the client NOW”. This goes 100% against the reason why most people want to start businesses in the first place… the freedom. So having strong boundaries about your time and energy is really important.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

If the person “desires” to be a founder then I believe they are cut out to be a founder. I think that every business and every woman in different and there is no “one size fits all” for leadership traits. I believe if someone wants their own business they have the ability to create it, regardless of their personally trait. I think listing specific “traits” is limiting.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Community

a. One of the things that I didn’t have was a really strong support system of women who wanted to see me succeed. I mean sure, I had my mom and my sister and my family members, but what I realized is that not everyone was on this journey to start their own business and experience massive up levels in their personal development. When I enrolled in my first PD program the community support was everything I needed. It was like I entered into this world of massive growth and expansion. Community for me continues to be the magic that helps keep me going and one of the major things I foster with my students.

2. Fool’s Mind

a. This is a big one. Having a “fool’s mind” allows us to learn new things and see unlimited possibilities. I remember a time where I thought I knew it all. To be honest I clearly didn’t know it all, otherwise I would have achieved all the things already. Having a fool’s mind allows us to continue to be a learner of new things!

3. Consistency

a. Even when it gets hard and even when you aren’t seeing results, consistency is key. It is important that you are showing up every day! I think for me the hardest thing was staying consistent when I was hearing “crickets’ ‘ because I felt unmotivated. However, it was in those times that I experienced growth. It was then I realized that there are people watching and waiting for my message every day. The crickets turned into confetti toss moments!

4. Gratitude

a. OBVIOUSLY! I am a manifestation guru and the highest vibration and frequency is gratitude. Imagine the possibilities when you start each day with a grateful heart! You attract even more abundance. So what is something you are grateful for and why?

5. Commitment to your focus

a. Rome wasn’t built in a day right? It kind of goes along with the consistency too. We have to commit to our creation so that we see results. Even when you don’t want to show up. Committing to the goal and the outcome is crucial! It is important that we are committing to what we want to create. What we want to see happen! So when we focus on WHAT WE WANT it creates evidence that we are on the right track. You’ll begin to see bits of magic everywhere. You’ll notice those tiny steps will add up to the big steps. If you happen to get caught up in focusing on what you don’t want, you’ll notice it manifesting too. So stay committed to what you want. Staying committed to the outcome is huge!

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I have worked with thousands of women to help them shift their mindset and to start their own soul aligned businesses. I think all of my students deserve to share their stories and amplify their voices. I love connecting these women to their purpose to stand out and share their message with the world.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be?

You never know what your idea can trigger. All of us who have a platform to help amplify the voices of those who desire to be heard. I am working on a top secret project that creates this!

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Kathrin Zenkina from Manifestation Babe. She changed my life with her 21 day goal setting book. She is the reason why I started to shift my beliefs and it was with her help that I was able to believe in myself enough to start my business!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.