Hi, this is Elisa Likt, and this is Leave Your Mark the podcast, where I brew fresh

career advice with some of my most inspiring and successful friends.

It's professional advice that you can action immediately, whether you're just starting out

in your career or well on your way.

With a massive to-do list and a large cup of coffee, I promise that you can get it all done and still

have time to post about it. Today on Leave Your Mark, I'm joined by Amanda Gatz, a two-time founder,

four-time CMO, and one of the most thoughtful voices on modern ambition. Amanda launched her company,

House of Wise, in her garage during the pandemic,

raised two rounds of venture capital, and sold it all while homeschooling three kids as a single

mom. Her new book, Toxic Grit, A Modern Guide to Ambition, is a wake-up call to anyone who's

ever felt trapped by the myth of having it all. In this conversation, we'll unpack why

hustle culture has failed us, what replaces it, and how to pursue ambition without losing

yourself along the way. Amanda, welcome to leave your mark. Oh my gosh, thank you for having me.

I'm so happy to have this conversation. And I love your book cover, by the way. Oh my gosh. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. It's funny because that was a whole, I mean, you know, with books, it's like a whole process to get to the final what you're actually seeing. So that means a lot. Yes, and lots of opinions for sure. Yes. Okay, so you've lived nearly

every archetype of ambition. You've been a corporate exact. You've been a founder, single mom

creator. What made you realize that the very grit that once fueled you had turned toxic?

There was a moment in my post-divorce VC-backed founder days where I realized that just because I'm

strong enough to do it all doesn't mean I should.

And I think that that was a real wake-up call for me.

I used to wear grit kind of like this Girl Scout badge of honor.

So I grew up on a farm in the Midwest.

My parents didn't go to college.

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