The 7-Figure Business Built on a Layoff | Andrew Chesnutt
Release Date: 06/03/2026
If You Can't Find What You're Looking For, Create It
The Amanda Dake Podcast
What happens when you can't find what you're looking for? Lea Woodford creates it. From broadcasting school where they told her at 19 her career had an expiration date, to founding her own media empire and a private jet company, Lea Woodford has built everything on one principle: frustration is fuel. In this conversation, Lea breaks down her journey from local media to luxury branding, revealing how she took control of her content strategy and saw a 780% increase in LinkedIn engagement. We dive into why most brands are "swimming in the sea of sameness," what "brand perception"...
info_outline
Just Because You CAN Doesn't Mean You SHOULD
The Amanda Dake Podcast
Just because you can do it all doesn't mean you should. If you're a high-achieving entrepreneur who's exhausted from doing everything yourself, this conversation is your wake-up call. Strategic advisor Amanda Dake breaks down why capable leaders get trapped in misalignment, doing tasks that drain their energy and stall their growth. We dive into: • The "just because you can" trap- and why it's killing your fulfillment • How to run a time audit that reveals what's actually eating your day • Using human design, DISC, and StrengthsFinder to identify your blind spots • Why isolation...
info_outline
The 7-Figure Business Built on a Layoff | Andrew Chesnutt
The Amanda Dake Podcast
Andrew Chesnutt didn't plan to build a seven-figure business. He planned to keep his job. When that was taken from him, he had to figure out what he was actually good at — and what he found changed everything. In this episode Andrew talks about the pivot from corporate trainer to entrepreneur, why most webinars fail and what to do instead, the power of story over features, and the small inner circle that has made every hard moment survivable. In this episode: • Why he calls bad corporate training "academic assault" • How stories light up the brain in a way features never will • Why...
info_outline
From Adjusting Spines to Rewiring Brains | Dr. Clifton Brady
The Amanda Dake Podcast
What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling. Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritional protocols that get the brain what it actually needs to function. No medication. No traditional therapy. Just biology. In this episode we talk about: ⭐️ Why complimenting someone who's...
info_outline
From Adjusting Spines to Rewiring Brains | Dr. Clifton Brady
The Amanda Dake Podcast
What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling. Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritional protocols that get the brain what it actually needs to function. No medication. No traditional therapy. Just biology. In this episode we talk about: ⭐️ Why complimenting someone who's...
info_outline
This 83-Year-Old Badass Found His Purpose — Now He's Going Viral
The Amanda Dake Podcast
At 83, most people slow down. John Graham just hit 120,000 followers. But the real story isn't the numbers — it's what it took to get there. A teenage freighter worker. A war correspondent in Algeria. A US Foreign Service officer in Libya and Vietnam. A shipwreck survivor in the North Pacific. And one moment, freezing in a lifeboat during a typhoon, where a voice forced him to answer the only question that actually matters.John Graham has spent a lifetime chasing danger. Then he found something worth fighting for. In this conversation, John shares the raw, unfiltered journey from...
info_outline
No Experience. Now He's an AI Coach. | Rob Cressy on Human-First AI
The Amanda Dake Podcast
What does it actually take to become an AI coach — with zero AI background? Rob Cressy walked away from corporate America 16 years ago to chase a sports broadcasting dream. Three career pivots later, a pandemic wiped out his entire industry overnight. Then in December 2022, a single text message introduced him to ChatGPT — and everything changed. In this episode, Rob breaks down his Human AI Sandwich framework, a simple approach to using AI for business without losing your voice, your judgment, or your edge. If you're an entrepreneur or leader trying to figure out how to use AI...
info_outline
Living at a 6: Why James Friel Walked Away from a Dream Corporate Career
The Amanda Dake Podcast
What does it look like when someone successful finally admits they're living at a 6? James Friel had the career — the titles, the bonuses, the offer to run global marketing from London. And he said no. James Friel is the founder of J Street Financial and a serial entrepreneur who has built everything from digital consultancies to ghost kitchens to financial advisory firms. But before all of that, he was a high-performing corporate executive who looked like he had it all — and felt the quiet pull to do something more. In this conversation, James unpacks the entrepreneurial mindset...
info_outline
Why Everyone Needs to Learn This Skill — Forbes Riley, The Pitch Queen
The Amanda Dake Podcast
Forbes Riley generated $2.5 billion in sales — and she'll tell you it had nothing to do with "selling." In this conversation, Forbes Riley, known as The Queen of Pitch, breaks down the communication skill that most professionals never learn — and why it changes everything from the boardroom to the dinner table. Forbes shares the childhood struggle that became her superpower, the accidental audition that launched a billion-dollar career, and why pitching isn't what you think it is. Key Moments: 00:00 — Introducing Forbes Riley, The Queen of Pitch 00:16 — How $2.5 Billion Started "By...
info_outline
Trapped by Success: Escaping the Golden Handcuffs
The Amanda Dake Podcast
After 25 years in a high-paying pharmaceutical sales career, Kathleen Chabus had everything that looks like success on paper: income, status, stability. But inside, it felt like being on the wrong bus and never getting off. Safety became a cage. In this conversation, Kathleen shares how “golden handcuffs” kept her in a role that didn’t fit, why the “condition trap” (“once X happens, then I’ll finally…”) almost cost her the life she actually wanted, and what shifted as she approached 50 and realized: You cannot course correct without starting the course. We talk about: ➡️...
info_outlineAndrew Chesnutt didn't plan to build a seven-figure business. He planned to keep his job. When that was taken from him, he had to figure out what he was actually good at — and what he found changed everything.
In this episode Andrew talks about the pivot from corporate trainer to entrepreneur, why most webinars fail and what to do instead, the power of story over features, and the small inner circle that has made every hard moment survivable.
In this episode:
• Why he calls bad corporate training "academic assault"
• How stories light up the brain in a way features never will
• Why entrepreneurs' baseline stress level is what most people feel as panic
• Why webinars are not dead — AI is just making them worse
• How to find the people whose honesty is the point
Connect with Andrew: https://theauthorityforge.com
Connect with Amanda:
Take the free Business Blind Spot Quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com
Website: https://amandadake.com