Sourcebooks

Toxic Grit - How to have it all and (actually) love what you have 
COMING OCTOBER 21, 2025!

Author

Be Clear Communications

We help progressive organizations and their leaders build robust digital presences that reflect their values, elevate their message, and reach the audiences who matter most.

Advisor

Anonymous

Chief Marketing Officer

🧩 Life’s a Game, HLG Projects

Marketing Consultant, Brand Builder, Creator and Author of Life's A Game: An anti-hustle newsletter about building a life on your terms. Personal and professional growth tips and frameworks delivered every Thursday at 8am.

Founder

The Post

Brought on by board as Fractional CMO to grow and scale The Post: the leading community for Leaders: Built By Sport.

Shaklee Corporation

Consulting with the global leader in health & wellness supplements working on innovation & partnerships and go to market positioning of new products.

VP of Marketing - Consultant

House of Wise

Empowering women to take control of their SLEEP, SEX, STRESS and STRENGTH with trusted CBD products.

Founder, CEO

Nue Life Health

4 month contract as fractional CMO to help with brand and marketing strategy.

Teal

6 month contract to help with positioning, team building and go to market strategy.

The Knot Worldwide

Following the December 2018 merger of XO Group Inc. and WeddingWire: We are The Knot Worldwide. With the mission of helping all couples around the world plan every aspect of their unique weddings, The Knot Worldwide is positioned to innovate and accelerate growth in the global wedding industry through The Knot, WeddingWire, bodas.net, and its family of leading wedding and lifestyle brands across the globe. The Knot Worldwide will deliver leading wedding marketplaces, wedding websites, planning tools, registry services and more to over 20 million unique visitors each month internationally through our brands. We're excited for all that is ahead for our brands, our couples, and our partners.

VP of Marketing

Amanda Goetz is a 2x founder, 3x CMO, brand builder and content creator on personal and professional growth and brand building, inspiring over 150,000 people every week through her social insights and weekly newsletter, 🧩 Life's A Game.

Amanda Goetz, was the founder and visionary behind House of Wise, a wellness company focused on creating space for more sleep, hotter sex and less stress. She started House of Wise during the pandemic in her garage, raised two rounds of venture capital and sold it in 2022 all while homeschooling three young children as a single mom.  

Born and raised in a single traffic light Midwest farm town, Amanda is a first generation college grad. Her dad is the town plumber & electrician. A self proclaimed over-achiever, Amanda worked three jobs in college while maintaining a 3.9 GPA and graduating early. 

Fast forward to 2017. Amanda found herself in NYC with 3 children under the age of 5 and navigating a divorce at the height of her career. Living life by a societally-approved checklist of success left her nearly broken. She spent the next 6 years unlearning hustle culture and learning a new way to approach her ambitious life. 

Amanda was the former head of brand for The Knot - the global leader in weddings. Previously, Goetz served as a startup founder building availability software for the wedding industry after spending years analyzing companies for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program. She also worked for celebrity wedding planner David Tutera as Head of Marketing developing the go-to market strategy for his brands, licensing deals and client partners.

She has built an audience of over 150,000 in the startup and business community learning to live a life of ambition and success without subscribing to today’s hustle culture. She launched a newsletter called 🧩 Life’s a Game with Amanda Goetz to help high performers learn actionable tips for living a life of intention.        

Amanda’s been featured on Access Hollywood, The Skinny Confidential, Forbes, Business Insider and more.

Amanda Goetz

I stopped bringing my whole self to work. 
And I stopped bringing my work self to home. Let me explain…..

The work version of me is assertive, cares about deadlines, financial security and being at the top. 

The home version of me is silly, soft and cares about being the best mom and caregiver possible. 

Those two versions of me don’t often see eye to eye and yet we are constantly being told to find “alignment”. 

My book is about how alignment isn’t always possible. 

It’s about:
- awareness of the character that’s leading
- prioritization 
- focus on their character’s goals 
- timeline for how long you wjlm focus 
- transition sequences to the next character 

Check out my latest op ed for The Wall Street Journal in the link below. 

And if you struggle to make space for all the diverse versions of yourself - grab a copy of Toxic Grit now!

USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Toxic Grit | 2x Founder (acquired) 5x CMO | Mom x3 | Keynote Speaker | Subscribe ➡️ 🧩 Life’s a Game Newsletter

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Popping on to say this: for every day I spend offline during this post book tour spin cycle….

the more ideas start flowing. 
the less anxiety I feel about the algorithm. 
the more clarity I have about 2026. 

If you never stop to pause and look up, you might miss the beauty of the changing landscapes on the climb.

I'm creatively tapped after my book tour so I'm running a spin cycle. 
If you are feeling the same.....steal this below 👇

Story time....I've spent the two years: 
- writing a best selling book 
- publishing a weekly newsletter for almost 80k people
- conducting interviews for the Girlboss podcast - Ambition 2.0

In Toxic Grit, I talk about “spin cycles” as intentional seasons where you wring out the heaviness that’s built up....... the pressure, the stimulation, the expectations, the constant output.

It's not quitting.
It's not laziness.

It is maintenance.

A spin cycle is a defined period of time where you reduce your RPM so you can keep going without burning out.

Here’s what my current spin cycle looks like:

1. Lower the creative bar
No “big” new projects. I’m focused on maintenance mode only: my FT CMO role and my weekly newsletter. Everything else is being held until next year. 

2. Shift from output to intake
I’m reading more, listening to conversations, and paying attention to what’s landing with people instead of trying to force new ideas. 

3. Tighten my containers
Shorter work blocks, hard stops in the evenings, more white space on the calendar. The constraint is what gives my brain room to reset. 

(and resisting the urge to use that white space for scrolling)

4. Name what can wait
I have a literal list called “Not right now” for every fun, shiny idea that pops into my head. It goes there, not on my actual plate.

5. Redefine “progress”
During a spin cycle, progress is: rested brain, clear thoughts, regulated nervous system. 

Save this for the next time you feel tapped out and ask yourself:
What would a 2–4 week spin cycle look like for me?

What can I pause, simplify, or say no to so I can actually keep going?

This is the path to sustainable ambition.

The number one complaint from employees I talk to? Lack of context + micromanaging. 

I've been silently working in a full time CMO position since July and I can't wait to share more about it soon. 

But I wanted to share the operating rhythm that I have used for 10+ years to increase context and agency across the functions of marketing. 

EVERY WEEK: 

Monday: Async priorities 

I send out an async email called "managing up monday"
This email does 2 things: 
- everyone replies with their 2 main areas of focus for the week so we know where everyone's brains are at
- allows everyone to update the dashboard with previous week's metrics

Tuesdays: 1:1s and team chat 

All of our weekly meetings happen on the same day to get aligned for the week. Since we already know what people are focused on we can use this time to either remove roadblocks or brainstorm ideas. 

Wednesdays: Hallway chat

Now that we are moving and groovin' for the week we use 1 hour on Wednesday for a "sync'd Slack hour". This mimics the hallway chat where you casually ask for the updates and things you need from someone. 

By doing this in Slack at the same time you ensure everyone gets a prompt answer AND everyone gets line of sight into other things moving forward. 

Thursdays & Fridays are open for deep work and closing out the week. 

Thoughts?! 
What do you find that works for your team?

So excited for this event!! If you are in NYC - please come by for this powerhouse event with Girlboss and Her Workplace 

See you December 15th!

✨ NYC, we’re ending 2025 with a moment. ✨

​Join Her Workplace and Girlboss on December 15th for an intimate fireside chat with Amanda Goetz—2x founder, 4x CMO, and author of Toxic Grit—as we explore how to balance drive with joy, ambition with alignment, and growth with grace.

🎤 Redefine ambition without the burnout
📚 First guests receive a signed copy of Toxic Grit
🤝 Connect with women rewriting the rules of success
🍷 Sip Juliet Wine & enjoy an evening powered by Blu Dot

Close the year in a room that fills your cup and your ambition. 💛

Register here—https://lnkd.in/eYU9Xs6V

Toxic Grit isn’t a success just because I worked hard. (I mean, I did work hard but that wouldn't have gotten it to best seller status alone....)

It’s a success because people showed up for me.

Friends who posted the book without me asking.
Podcast hosts who invited me on before they read a single word.
Former coworkers who introduced me to the right editors or hosted events at their companies.
And yes....I had to actually put myself out there and ask for help.


Me asking for help on LinkedIn.
But here's the thing...

Most of the help didn't come from cold networking connections.

These were people I've kept in touch with for years.

People who I have checked in with when I didn’t need anything. I sent voice memos when I saw they were going through something. I celebrated their wins like they were mine.

So when it was finally my turn to ask?

The trust was already there.

A lot of people get networking wrong.

Even the word itself feels transactional. “Be in my network” is just code for: “I’ll contact you when I need something.”

But community?
That’s different.

Community is built when you show up before it’s convenient. It's when you give without tracking what you’re getting back. It's when we remember that humans aren’t LinkedIn headshots...…they’re living, breathing, emotional beings (likely going through their own shit).

I believe it’s more important than ever to have a community of people supporting you through the ups and downs and life yet it’s harder than ever in this current social media landscape.

And to all of those who have been that to me along the way....as I found myself a single mom of 3 kids under the age of 4....as I found myself moving to a new city with no friends or family....or as I shifted careers....

....I'm so thankful for you.

Today's newsletter goes into how I think about networking and doing it differently. 

Read it here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebw89dUw

graphical user interface, text, application, email

Being a CMO of a new brand launching in Q1 while planning a wedding on a book tour. 

AMA. 

🫣

I took a week off from posting after the first leg of my book tour wrapped and I have to be honest.....I am creatively zapped. 

Every time I go to post something, my brain just......fizzles. 

Is anyone else feeling this way?

My portfolio career Black Friday wish list.....

1. Wish = Less time on social media 
Must have ➡️ Taplio 
30% off today!! 

I barely log into LinkedIn these days because I schedule all my content on 
Taplio. Use code BF30 at checkout! 

2. Wish = Less time in email & scheduling 
Must have ➡️ An EA 

I use Athena EA for my services. Get $2000 off your EA using my link below. 

3. Wish = More time back for other parts of your life 
Must have = USA Today Bestseller ➡️ Toxic Grit: How to have it all and (actually) love what you have

I wrote this book to share all the systems I use to juggle work, life and everything in between. On sale today!!

This week on Ambition 2.0: we sit down with Erika Ayers Badan, former CEO of Barstool Sports, current CEO of Food52, bestselling author of Nobody Cares About Your Career, and all-around master of building a career entirely on her own terms. 

Erika shares candid stories from her time leading one of the most controversial (and successful) media companies in the world, what she’s learned about managing men and underdogs, how to stay emotionally regulated at work, and why she advocates for not bringing your whole self to work (compartmentalization can actually enhance your authenticity). 

🎙️ Listen to Ambition 2.0 here: https://lnkd.in/gsrfr7cC 
💻 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gGTD-pT4 

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and let us know your biggest takeaway (there's lots!) ✍️🙂‍↕️ 

Amanda Goetz

Building in stealth (for now). If you want a peek behind the curtain, DM me and I’ll show you.

Blaine Davis

Lately, I’ve been working on being more concise when I talk.

When I’m passionate about something…I tend to yap.
I’ll go on and on instead of slowing down and articulating what I mean.

It comes from a good place – excitement, energy, conviction.
But I’ve realized it makes communication less effective.

So I’ve been focusing on being more clear and intentional.
Saying less, but saying it better.

It’s not easy, especially when you care deeply about what you’re talking about.
But I’m learning that clarity is often more powerful than enthusiasm.

Still working on it.
(And still trying to stop the yap.)

Air travel in the U.S. has become a nightmare.

I’ve been on four flights in the last two weeks.
All four flights were delayed.

Two before the government shutdown, two after.

So it’s not just the shutdown – it’s the system.
Everything feels old, inefficient, and held together by duct tape.

Meanwhile in Europe, they’ve got high-speed rail that’s faster, cheaper, and infinitely more reliable. You can go from London to Paris in two hours without ever stepping into an airport.

Here? We’re stuck waiting for gate agents to reboot Windows 95.

It’s wild that in 2025, air travel feels worse than it did a decade ago.
We’re long overdue for real innovation…

That’s why supersonic flight is one thing I keep coming back to.

We had it decades ago (the Concorde was flying in the ‘70s). Now there are startups trying to bring it back.

That’s the kind of bet I’d make:

– Shorten travel times.
– Modernize infrastructure.
– Make the world feel smaller again.

Because at this rate, it might actually be faster to walk.

I spent the last two weekends visiting family.

I’ve been exhausted lately – running on fumes with work. 

So to be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about traveling again.
But it’s exactly what I needed.

Family has a way of grounding you. You go from worrying about every small problem in your business to realizing…most of it doesn’t actually matter.

What matters is your health, your family, and the health of your family.

At one point I caught myself thinking about product timelines and then thought, “Actually, I’m going fishing with my grandma in Florida. I don’t care about anything else right now.”

Spending time with her was 1000% worth the trip.

Everyone’s worried about robots replacing service jobs.

But I think it’s the opposite.

If anything, blue-collar workers are the safest – for now.

Elon said it best: the only people who’ll be safe are the ones moving atoms, not bits.

And it’s true.

Plumbers, electricians, farmers, contractors… any job that's physical will exist for a much longer time. Because robotics just isn’t there yet.

It’s the desk jobs that are in trouble.

AI is replacing repetitive, digital work faster than anyone expected. Most of what happens behind a screen can (and will) be automated.

If you’re in the business of physically building, fixing, or maintaining things, you’ll likely outlast a lot of us typing away on keyboards.

Wild to think that the safest jobs of the AI age might be the ones everyone used to overlook.

The U.S. officially took the penny out of circulation.
And honestly… it says a lot about where we’re headed.

On the surface, it doesn’t change much. 
No one’s financial life hinges on a copper coin that costs more to mint than it’s worth.

But directionally?
It’s a pretty loud signal that we’re inching toward a fully cashless world.

Digital payments, tap-to-pay everything, micro-transactions, maybe even a central bank digital currency down the road – that’s all coming faster than people think.

From a fintech and infrastructure standpoint, it’s interesting.
For the average consumer, nothing really shifts today.

But it is wild to think there’s an entire generation of kids who won’t even know what a penny is.

Small changes like this always point to bigger trends. 
And the long-term trend is clear:

Cash is fading. Digital is default.

The real question is: what does a fully cashless economy unlock – and who’s ready for it?

Saying “yes” to every customer is one of the fastest ways to kill your business.

I’ve seen this as a founder and as an investor.

A customer asks for a “quick” feature tweak. 
Then another one does.
And before you know it…you’re running a services business instead of building a product.

I get it. The temptation is real.
You want to keep every customer happy. But the truth is, you can’t build everything for everyone.

My rule:
→ If one person asks for something, note it.
→ If a third of your customers (or your power users) ask for it, then build it.

Otherwise, you’ll spend your life chasing feature requests instead of building a company.

Some of the smartest teams I’ve backed got stuck in the loop of endless custom work.
They weren’t building products anymore. They were building whatever they heard that week.

Listen to all feedback.
But stick to your guns.

I used to struggle with turning my brain off after work.

Even when I left my desk, I couldn’t stop working in my head.

But about a year ago, I worked with a performance coach who also trained F1 drivers and executives. 

He told me one thing he noticed about Americans (especially founders) is that we never actually stop working.

We close the laptop but keep the wheels spinning. We move from the medium screen (laptop) to the small one (phone), then finish the night in front of the big one (TV).

I used to do that every night.
Now I force myself to have a wind-down routine, even if it’s just ten minutes.

– No screens.
– Read a few pages.
– Do some breathwork.
– Then bed.

It sounds simple, but that small separation between screentime and rest makes a massive difference.

You can’t think clearly if you never stop thinking.

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The Battle

Amanda Goetz

Blaine Davis

Followers

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Performance ScoreAmanda Goetz's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Amanda Goetz

Blaine Davis

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Amanda Goetz's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBlaine Davis's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreAmanda Goetz's LinkedIn Performance