Welcome to Wonder Woman Wednesday! Every Wednesday we feature women who are using their business or work as a force for good. The intention behind this blog is to raise awareness on the impact of doing good and to inspire others to think of ways in which they too can use their business or work as a force for good. By doing this we hope we will be creating a better community one business at a time and leaving this world a little bit better than we found it for future generations.

Tell us about your business and how you use your work as a force for good?

As a mum of two small children, I gave up my career as a Creative Director and really focused on staying home with them in this season of novice motherhood.

My brain, however, was not in agreement in this decision and throughout this season I have been working on a lot of not for profit networks and also some small business ventures. Idea after idea plagued me and I surrendered to the beauty of communication and helping women.

Essentially I am a writer. I have written seven books over the last several years and most of them are workbook tools to help women find their voices. In the midst of this season, I also co-founded Kinwomen: a radio program that has now been syndicated across Australia and into New Zealand. The mission of Kinwomen is to help women find their voice. Locally I started an online movement called Secrets in the Bay, a photographic journey, helping people to see the beauty in my local region of Rockingham and its surrounds. Recently I launched an online space called The Boardroom Retreat, which is all about resourcing women in leadership to grow in capacity. So in the midst of school hours, finishing off projects and general Mum duties, I jump online and contribute to these spaces.

What led you to using your business as a force for good?

I grew up in a family that was always a part of community works. My dad was a local councillor, my Uncle the city Mayor and my Mum runs the local soup kitchen. The family home I grew up in has been converted into a house for pregnant women who are homeless. Leadership, community endeavour and helping those who need help was my upbringing. However, as an adult, I have really zoned in on helping women find their voice. Believing that there is somebody out there who need’s each of our stories. Every person has a story of discovery, a story of strength, a story of transformation. The lessons learnt from this story is powerful. I love to help women find their voice, their story and then have the courage to stretch out and share it with strength. I believe wholeheartedly that we are not in competition with each other, that we have the capacity to change one another’s lives through service. When we serve in humility the story of another, we leave a legacy of hope that is deeply profound in our community.

What inspires you to make a difference in the lives of others?

The eyes of my children watching. The women who have mentored me and helped me discover the jewels in my story and for me that sense of passion and purpose birthed in my own faith. Knowing that this life is not a dress rehearsal and there are powerful paths for us all to walk. Those who I have never met inspire me, those who need my story. Those who I mentor and the courageous steps they take towards living a vulnerable and strong life. The 3 am poets and washing line philosophers. The half-asleep business owners and the miracle making bookkeepers. The leaders just having a go and creative makers fielding their next mistake. Artists looking for their things because they were lost in their heads. Those who are burdened by the weights of responsibility and the Mums desperate for one moment of peace. Those longing for a clean house if only in their minds. This is who inspires me. These are the women are the reason why I share, again and again, finding ways to connect them with one another. 

What is one act that anyone can do today to make this world a better place?

Write to heal. Find parts of your story that need to be recorded for the legacy of the coming generations. Rather than giving everything, we have to social media, what about digging deep into your story and writing to heal in your own life. Every time we do this the reverberation across the world is powerful because when we discover transformation from our own stories, every person in our world is impacted. That is powerful. The ripple effect of women own their stories, changing the narrative and then stepping out into their passion and purpose is amazing. You can do this and all you need is a pen and a piece of paper. I recently created an online writing course called write hard. Ernest Hemingway says it this way “Write hard about the things that hurt”. The truth is we have all been hurt, but there is power in those stories. There are revelations from these places that propel us into our glorious futures. This course was designed to be like you are having a coffee with me in my kitchen chatting about the power of writing for self-discovery and growth. We all have a story that can help another. There is wisdom in our draws of revelation that can empower another. The voice that is discovered in the depths of our own narratives is brilliant. When was the last time you wrote for yourself? Journaling, memories, recording insight for your future self. Write hard and long, my dear friend. It is a tool that will be great growth and power into your future. 

Find out more about Amanda and the work she does here.

The Power of Hope