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

Co-founder & CEO @ Revenue Roll

3rd-generation entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Tie.

Tie helps ecommerce brands de-anonymize their highest-value web traffic with names, email addresses, advertising IDs and demographic attributes. We’re trusted by brands like Macy’s, Cozy Earth, Crunch Fitness, Caraway, and Baby Brezza.

On average, our customers de-anonymize up to 90% and grow their cart abandonment list by 225%. Join them: meettie.com.

Michael Diesu

We're getting ready to kickoff 2026 planning. It’s our first time ever doing annual planning. And I’m coming to a sobering discovery.

We've been so focused on building new features that we've ignored the low-hanging fruit that would actually move the needle.

The reality: most retention marketers don't need more platforms. They need the platforms they have to work better, faster, and easier.

Our customers at $100m+/yr brands don't want bleeding-edge AI features. They want:

- Faster time-to-value (weeks, not quarters)
- Easier integration with partners
- Fewer hoops to see results

When you dig deep enough, the same is true for smaller brands too.

There’s a trap in startup thinking where we assume innovation means NEW. Sometimes, innovation means FASTER and SIMPLER.

Customers aren’t impressed by your 47-feature roadmap. They're impressed when you help get a job done as quickly as possible.

So our 2026 theme? Speed and ease. Not just for our customers, but for our entire ecosystem.

The Tie you see in 6 months won't look radically different from a product perspective. But it'll feel 10x easier to use.

Because at the end of the day, the best tech is tech that gets out of your way so you can do your job.

I was on a call with a 9-figure brand and the other person said: "I love what you do. But can we talk about the elephant in the room?"

The elephant they’re referring to is using data people haven't explicitly opted-in to share can feel... spammy. He's right. 

Honestly, that question kills me sometimes because we built Tie to be the ethical player in website identification. But perception matters as much as reality.

So we continue fighting the good fight. We continue to do it “the right way."

Because in 2026, the winning brands won't be the ones with the most aggressive identification tools. They'll be the ones that build trust while still driving results.

Effective doesn't have to mean invasive or spammy. And we're betting our roadmap on it.

We're in month 2 with my Head of Sales and RevOps manager working together. And I have to say that I'm impressed with what they’ve done in such short time.

They built systems that provide visibility into all the leading and lagging indicators.

We know the 5 or 6 touchpoints we need to make on every marketing qualified lead. And we have a forecasting model so Sales can make an accurate estimate on how we’re tracking against goals.

Before this, I was responsible for forecasting how we’d do on revenue goals based on gut feel and pipeline stages.

Now I can see who's doing the work, not just who's getting lucky.

My favorite part of this?

They figured out how to work together without me in the middle.

They owned their lanes and made something that really levels up the entire org. So much so that it’ll probably change how we approach sales accelerators going forward.

TLDR:

When you make new hires, it’s tempting to throw them neck deep into the water. Try to intentionally slow things down as much as possible so they can get their feet wet, understand the product, team and build context.

Month 2 is where you see if they can actually execute. A-players don’t ask you how to do the job. They start showing you how the job should be done.

I’ve cut the amount of time I spend on bad fit candidates by at least 80% by just being direct about what it takes to work at Tie. 

Some people are subtly put off by it, but that’s the point.

You can't be half-in when it comes to working at a startup. Especially not in any high-intensity leadership position.

If someone's been grinding for years and they're burned out? They've earned the right to find something more stable.

But it’s my job to ask the uncomfortable question early. It saves both of us from a painful mismatch 6 months down the road.

A friend of mine built and sold a $1B manufacturing software business. He told me something I couldn’t believe: "I never paid for ads. Ever."

I asked him: “How did you build a $1B business in manufacturing software without paid acquisition?

His answer: "I built champions, not customers."

Here's how it worked:

He'd identify a VP at a customer account. Supply chain, ops, whoever was using his software. Then he'd invest in making them a mini-celebrity in their industry.

- Brought them to conferences as speakers
- Paid for them to go on podcasts
- Had content teams build them up as thought leaders
- Created courses featuring them as experts

He never put it in the contract. Never made it transactional. He just genuinely invested in their personal brand.

The result? They became big names in supply chain. And every 5th post? Every conference? They'd talk about his software. They'd refer new customers. They'd become unpaid evangelists.

He made his customers famous. And in return, they made him rich.

This is the opposite of traditional B2B marketing because It's not about your brand. It's about elevating theirs.

I was speaking with another founder a few weeks ago about the difference between great product visionaries and great product builders — they're totally different roles.

Here’s what I told them: very few founders are actually product visionaries. These are your Steve Jobs-types. They exist, but they’re incredibly rare.

For everyone else, I believe becoming a great product builder is a competency worth developing.

That starts with knowing that your customers understand their problems better than you ever will. And that there’s a fine line between being reactive to customer requests and building something for the long-term.

You need:

- Vision (where you're going)
- Customer insight (how they need to get there)
- The humility to let them change your mind

Case in point: we’ve had customers suggest use cases that were nowhere near our radar. And we’re banking on some of those use cases becoming hugely impactful for customers and Tie.

That doesn’t happen if you’re building in a vacuum.

We're not letting customers dictate our multi-year strategy. But in the micro? On specific features and prioritization?

When you’re not a visionary, you have to lean into your customers as the experts. You’re just building the infrastructure.

“Every SaaS company will need to implement a services model that delivers outcomes to stay competitive” Hmm. Here's my take:

I think this position is directionally correct but has some serious tradeoffs.

The orthodox position is that SaaS companies should target 85%+ gross margins. It's what separates pure SaaS from tech-enabled service companies in disguise.

The 85% gross margin obsession comes from exit math.

When strategic buyers or public markets value your company, they're looking at software multiples (8-12x revenue) vs. services multiples (1-2x revenue).

If you're running 60% margins because half your revenue is managed services? You're not getting a software valuation. Meaning, you have to work much harder to deliver for investors and employee shareholders.

Klaviyo tried to build a services arm. They killed it. Because when you become a services company, you get valued like one… and it’s HARD.

On the flip side, optimizing for exit math without delivering customer outcomes is how you build a company that dies slowly.

Brands aren’t buying more tools. They’re buying outcomes. And if you offer ZERO support beyond "here's the login, good luck"? You churn. And churn is worse for your exit than lower margins.

So where's the middle ground?

Light-touch services, not fully-managed services.

You can guide customers to outcomes without building a headcount-heavy services business.

At Tie, we don't have a professional services arm. But we provide guidance, onboarding, and strategic input to help customers get value faster.

In short: our job is to teach customers how to fish. We don’t fish for them.

Here’s my framework I use:

- Help customers succeed (non-negotiable)
- Don't scale services linearly with revenue (this kills your model)
- Invest in enablement, not execution (teach, don't do)

85% gross margins isn’t the north star for its own sake.

It's building a company that delivers outcomes AND gets valued like software.

What’s your take?

When you say yes to a one-off feature request, you're saying no to core product improvements that benefit everyone.

When you chase every vertical, you never become the obvious choice for any specific one.

Strategy is as much about deciding what not to do, explicitly and publicly, as it is deciding what to do.

When you write down what you won't do, you give your team permission to ignore distractions and execute with clarity.

I encourage any founder reading this to take this as a challenge.

Write down your Do Not Do list. Share it with your team. And watch what happens when everyone stops hedging and starts executing.

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The Battle

Amanda Goetz

Michael Diesu

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Performance ScoreMichael Diesu's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Amanda Goetz

Michael Diesu

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

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Performance ScoreAmanda Goetz's LinkedIn Performance