Introducing Outlign.. and me… Amanda!
“That ripple effect is everything to me. It's why my work has never been just marketing, or operations, or strategy. It's always been about the whole picture - the systems, the team, the culture, the experience, and whether the owner holding it all together is actually okay.”
I remember a friend asking me in my early twenties what I wanted to do with my career.
I said I wanted to help businesses - with everything. The systems, the processes, the people, the direction. All of it.
I didn't fully understand why back then. But looking back, it makes complete sense. I grew up surrounded by people who ran their own businesses - Dad, my sister, aunty, uncle, and other family members. Business wasn't something I learned about. It was just... life. I remember mum asking us to rate the customer service out of ten on shopping trips. I've been paying attention to how businesses make people feel for as long as I can remember.
What followed was nearly two decades in the thick of it - leading marketing, brand, customer experience, ops, people and sales across industries, business types, and very different chapters of my life. Not skimming the surface. Actually in it.
Somewhere along the way, I lost the thread a little. Life pulled focus elsewhere, as it does. Until one evening I was at a restaurant with my sister, critiquing the customer experience because of course we were, and I thought: why am I not doing this myself? I could see exactly what they were trying to create and where it was falling short. They say the best businesses are built from what you care about most. That thought didn't leave me alone.
A few people had also been saying it for a while - that I had an entrepreneurial mindset, that they were surprised I wasn't running my own thing. Hearing that from people whose judgement I respected has a way of making you take yourself more seriously. So I did. I took the leap. And in doing so, I've done some of the most meaningful personal growth of my life.
I've seen the ripple effect up close. When a business has solid foundations, the owner stops waking up at 2am. The team is happier. They go home without the weight of the day following them. The business grows, more people get hired, and the community feels it. When it doesn't - that ripple goes the other way, further than most realise.
That ripple effect is everything to me. It's why my work has never been just marketing, or operations, or strategy. It's always been about the whole picture - the systems, the team, the culture, the experience, and whether the owner holding it all together is actually okay.
And this brings me to today. I'm equal parts excited and nervous to be launching Outlign - holistic business advisory for small business owners. Strategy, people, brand, customer experience, operations, technology, owner wellbeing and more. The whole picture.
While I am sure other business owners can relate to how I'm feeling pre-launch, I also feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing work I've always cared about, finally on my own terms.
While I work on my own foundations and get ready for launch, your support means the world.
Better yet, if any of this resonates, reach out. I’d love to hear from you!
Much love
