From imposter syndrome to unapologetically confident with Amber Fields

Tiffany Sauder: This week I talked to Amber Fields. She's the CEO of True U, and has really been on a remarkable journey in her own process of accepting the fact that she really is a CEO. And you know, we throw around these words imposter syndrome a lot, but I think the real. Choice we all have is whether or not we're actually gonna do the work to believe that we have earned the right, that we deserve the right to sit in the seat of opportunity that we've been given.

And that doesn't mean that we have like a deserving attitude, like, oh, of course I deserve this. But when we are asked to lead, when we are called to give direction and vision to a group of people, when we sit in that seat reluctantly, we don't serve anyone well. And Amber was given a. A big leadership opportunity before she saw that she was ready, and we really walked through her journey of how she became to believe that she really was the right person for that seat.

So if you're in a place in your life where you're just not sure, you're like sitting in a seat saying, I don't think I belong here. Everybody's got to be looking at me and thinking I'm gonna feel at any moment in time. First of all, I'm sure that's not true. You've been given this opportunity for a reason, but I think in Amber's journey, we can all learn how to more clearly see ourselves through the lens of our talents and the way our gifts can serve the people that we're leading around us. I wanna start with kind of the very brief convo we had.

I was like, Hey, come on the podcast. I wanna learn more. Let's talk about it. Um, you had me join a panel, and we were talking about kind of modern workplace stuff and responding to Covid and we leaving and.

I was like, you just feel like you're in the pocket of life. your spirit, mind, body, dreams, opportunities, everything just came together and you can just see that in you. And, um, I was like, I'm so happy for you. It's amazing. You can see it so clearly. And you said, I am there, but I really battled for a long time imposter syndrome and not believing if I should or could do do some of the things that you're doing now.

So, Let, just like unpack that a little bit cuz I know it's not a unique feeling for people and it can make you feel really lonely. So kind of where'd it start for you and um, kind of bring me to now and then we can talk about

Amber Fields: Yeah. Yeah. So I'm gonna start way back when, when I was in college because I went to school to be a television news anchor, except that I was on the air the day of nine 11 and it changed my life

You know, I always joke that, um, not joke, but I'm serious. Like I'm glad it was radio and not television cuz I cried through every and I was 21, you know?

So I was really young in my career, but I was driven. I had plans, you know, I was gonna be the next Katie Ceuric until I get there and I'm like, I don't wanna do this. I don't wanna be the bearer of bad news for the rest of my life. But I had an $80,000 degree that said, well, you should probably try.

And I just met my husband and he had two small kids. So we are a family of five, but my oldest are my two step kids, 22, 21. And we've been married almost 20 years this year. And so,

Tiffany Sauder: they were baby, they were

Amber Fields: They were very little. Very little.

Tiffany Sauder: And And you were how old?

Amber Fields: 22 when we got married.

Tiffany Sauder: Okay.

Amber Fields: family.

Tiffany Sauder: Yes. That's a big thing to step into though, at that age.

Amber Fields: Well, and when you talk about career, I had to make a choice. Was I going to follow my career? was I gonna take care of my family? I had a job offer in North Dakota making $24,000 a year, and was I gonna take my husband away from his two small children to chase a dream that I wasn't even a hundred percent sure that I wanted to do anymore.

So I just said, you know what? I'm gonna take a job. I'm gonna take care of my family, cuz that's really where my priority is. I'll figure out me later. Dot, dot, dot. And then 10 years of trying to figure it out. Right. I went into, customer service. I was a team leader, in different companies.

And then one day someone said, Hey, I think you'd be really good at sales. You should try sales. And I was like, no, cuz I don't wanna be as sleazy salesperson. And they were like, just don't be.

I was like, okay. So I was selling it consulting services, which is like, The hardest thing on the planet to sell.

But I think all of these different jobs that I had a hundred percent led me to where I am today because I have the business acumen. I understand what it means to serve a client with excellent service, so I sold IT services for about or nine years.

I had worked for some really great companies with great culture. And I'd worked with some, with really poor culture, but somehow along the way I was always the person from an HR perspective that was like everything. Culture, people, talent development, talent learning. You should come to Amber cuz she's really good at those things.

So on top of selling and you know, doing that, I did those things too.

Tiffany Sauder: the enterprise level or even just, or just for your team or

Amber Fields: both? Both. Both. I worked for Verizon for several years and they kept trying to get me to go be a trainer, but that meant traveling.

What you will see along my path is, and I hear you talk about this all the time, trying to grow a family, raise a family, and have a career.

And my husband also has worked and tried to figure out his pathway as well. So us trying to figure that out together, sometimes he was in the forefront. Sometimes I was, which I know you talk about and you get, it was hard. It was really hard. And he was very supportive a hundred percent all the way through He, he was actually the one that told me, cuz I was doing a lot of learning and development and training and he said, when are you gonna stop and realize you have everything that you need already within you?

Tiffany Sauder: So when you say it was hard, what was hard? Because there's a lot versions of hard. When you look at that 10 years, what was hard

Amber Fields: not doing what I knew that I was supposed to be doing. I felt called to entrepreneurship. Years ago, but I wasn't ready. didn't have the experience that I needed, but I kept filling that tug and I'm the type of person I think you are too.

No matter what you're called to do or what you're doing in that season of life, you're gonna do it in excellence, you're gonna do it great, but there always feels like there's a miss somewhere.

And so when I was at Verizon, you know, they had a great culture for a really large company. It was a subculture, and I felt like I had the opportunity to be a catalyst in that culture and really helping with talent retention and talent attraction.

And so that's kind of where my story starts to pick up. You know, people are always coming to me about career pathing. Hey, you seem like you're really good in all the jobs you've ever had. Seems like you find your way. Tell me what I should be doing. Like I'm, it's not up to me to tell you where do you wanna go?

What's the vision for where you see yourself, you know, if you can't do teach. So I was teaching other people how to do that while I was on my pathway to figuring it out. So what was hard was just not being aligned

and feeling that sense of misalignment, but being on the growth journey and understanding that it just wasn't my time

what else was hard was several mentors or people that I looked up to in my life told me that I wouldn't be. This type of good leader and deciding and taking that feedback.

Tiffany Sauder: you hear that or did they say that?

Amber Fields: in some circumstances it could have been what I heard, but in a couple scenarios it was the poignant, like, I just don't think you have what it takes To be a ceo.

Tiffany Sauder: Yep.

Amber Fields: Or You haven't led people yet up to this point in your life, so I don't know that you'd be a good fit for this job.

When I'm leading people from my seat leading with influence, 22 people on my team, right? Getting them to do things that they couldn't get their direct managers to get them to do. I was getting them to do that. So there were a few people in my life that it was like, okay, thank you for the feedback. I hear what you're saying. Maybe I'm not ready for that. But there's a part of you, Tiffany,that you wanna believe them.

You're like, well, maybe I'm not. When you talk about imposter syndrome, when, when this opportunity came to be and it was divine, I couldn't have put this together if I'd tried. And in March of 2021, I just surrendered my career.

I'm a woman of faith, and I was like, I can't, I'm tired of chasing it. I was chasing title, I was chasing money, and I'm like, at this point, I wanna do whatever I'm supposed to be doing.

Whatever you decide that that is, I will do so. I felt some God nudges Chris Mills is uh, the COO of ML Talent Strategies.

She's also part of Rise and Thrive, which I'm a part of. And I kept getting the nudge to reach out to her. And so I did. I asked her, you know, here's what I'm looking for. But here's the thing, Tiffany, I was very clear. I wanted to lead a team. I was ready to explore this level of entrepreneurship that I kept filling the tug on.

I wanted to grow something. And I wanted to use my gifts and talents, but I had to do all that work leading up to, to figure those things. And so when I reached out to her, she said, your timing is impeccable. And that's where the true you story begins.

Tiffany Sauder: Okay. So, I wanna, backtrack your personal life a little bit because I think that the life of and part is really relevant because you have five kids in your house at very different stages. So along that path, when did you have your biological kids? you had those in that 10 year  stretch, that right?  You have twins, is that right? Yes. Okay. And they're how old?

Amber Fields: 12.

Tiffany Sauder: And they're the youngest? Okay. what compassion are you able to have for Yourself today that you couldn't have for yourself

Amber Fields: for sure that it was okay to be a mom first.was a hundred percent okay to take the path that I took.

I got a lot of grief, man. You've switched jobs a lot. That doesn't look good on a resume. people looked at that and they're like, it doesn't look like you're very stable in the jobs. And I said, no, if I wasn't happy or I didn't feel like I could bring in excellence, everything I needed to do, then I, it wasn't the right fit for me.

So I'm looking for that place where I could give it everything that I have. And be fully

aligned. and it was okay that I just wanted to be a mom, right? I was a stay-at-home mom for a couple years when my twins were young, got out of the workplace so that I could start this discovery process. I was self-aware enough that I knew I couldn't sit inside the four walls of, of a manufacturing organization and push paperwork. I just couldn't do it. And so I went home. That also wasn't for me,

Tiffany Sauder: but it's an important experiment. It is. I'm a way better

Amber Fields: mom when I'm a contributor to society. And that was part of the issue is I felt bad that I was like, I birthed these children and I should be the mom that wants to be a stay-at-home mom with them.

And I don't, I'm a way better mom when I get to go to work and come back and have quality life experiences with them versus the quantity of it. Right? And they were gonna grow up. They were two and a half, you know, they were going to preschool, they were gonna be out doing their own thing. And so I just had to be okay with going back to work and finding.

My place in the workplace.

Tiffany Sauder: I think this is a very real struggle.I actually think it's somewhat divine. I like was so clumsy about trying to figure out what question I'm supposed to ask because I don't know how to beg young women to. When I talk about a life of, and it doesn't have to look like mine. And like you said, it's like I had to try it, I had to figure it out.

Like, what is my heart called to do? And it is this weird thing of like, do I not love my kids enough if I don't want to be with them all the time? Like, is there something flawed in my connection with them? Like, it's kind of this weird thing. And I felt that same thing. And I don't know, my mom stayed home.

Did yours mom stay home with you guys? She worked,

Amber Fields: my grandmother did though, so I saw

Tiffany Sauder: Yeah. your grandma was with you.

And so it's this thing of like, are my kids gonna know me? Like, is how is this all gonna play out? there's a lot of courage that it took to kind of stand out in every environment.

You probably didn't fit with the stay at home moms. You didn't fit with the working moms. And finding your place is really hard.

Amber Fields: It is. I felt like a misfit everywhere.And even when Mike Lance hired me, one of the things that he said to me was, I. There's nothing on your resume that says that you were qualified to do this job. And he meant it as a compliment, right? Like he was like, and you are a hundred percent the perfect person to do this work, but you can't quantify that on a piece ofpaper. you just can't qualify experience and passion and purpose and gifts. So it was, it was a conversation, right? He felt my passion for what we were doing. And no, I didn't have a background in hr actually, when some of my, IT. mentors said, you do realize you belong in hr,right? I resisted it. I was like, no, cuz I don't wanna be a part of the Fun Police. And they were like, no, no, no. The people and culture side of it, the talent development piece of that, that is a hundred percent where you belong. I could have went to a place of like regret where, man, I should have explored that before.

But I didn't, and it's okay because now was the right time for me to fall into this place. And everything that I have experienced in the past has helped me be successful thus far. you said it, I feel like I'm in the pocket of everything I'm supposed to be doing, even when it's hard.

Tiffany, I was driving over here and I thought, you know that you love your job and you're exactly where you're supposed to be when you love it, even when it's hard. Yeah,because we're in a season of growth and we're in a season where you gotta make hard decisions I spent the first year getting this job in imposter syndrome.

I told you that last time we were together because it was like I, I'm not qualified. I don't even actually know what I'm doing. I have great mentors and it feels like I'm on the right path, but always questioning am I making the right decision? And this year I just decided I was not going to have that mindset.

I. I'm confident enough to know that I have leaders that are pointing me in the right direction. I have mentors and my instincts are good enough to know I have enough experience to know whether this is gonna work and if it doesn't, it's okay to fail also.

Tiffany Sauder: Mm-hmm. I think that's totally the, Through line in this is like your own belief begets your outcomes. Like even when you talked about early on, like you didn't have the experience for entrepreneurship.

I mean, Mike Lance saw potential, not experience. And I do think we need people in our lives to like, Find that in us. Like I just believe in you. I had clients along the way who were like handing me projects. I was like, I mean, I'm gonna cry. This looks so hard. I have no idea how to do this. And they're like, you'll be fine kiddo.

Amber Fields: Yep.

Tiffany Sauder: We'll see you in the conference room. You're gonna say something, you know? And it's like you need people to push you into your potential, circumstances. crisis whatever it is. You've gotta have people who push you into that. It's a big piece of it.

Amber Fields: when I talked about the other folks before that spoke to my lack of experience. That's why I'm such a huge proponent for mentorship cuz you're right, somebody has to push you into your potential. That's the greatest quote I've ever heard.

Someone had to stand in the gap for you and see something in you that you couldn't see in yourself to get you to the place where you were supposed to be.

And, and I am so blessed to have had people that I've met my life that I focus more on than the negative,that I listen to more often than I do.

The people who didn't believe, that kept me, I. Courageously going forward and exploring whatever this call was, cuz I could have just folded, tucked my tail and said, you know what? You're probably Uhhuh, not cut out for this. I couldn't do it.

Tiffany Sauder: So you weren't hired into the role you're in right now, right? No. So walk us through that a little bit. and give listeners, if they're not familiar, what TrueU is, just so there's some backdrop to that.

Amber Fields: Yeah. We are a membership, company that helps organizations hire, attract, retain, and engage their top talent. it's a membership based organization.

They come in and, and we help them build culture and develop their people. And, I, so I've been there 18 months, so I came in as the vice president of culture. So the company was being bought. by one of the original co-founders, Mike Lance, cuz it was Born Outta Defenders. For those of you that know who Defenders is and, uh, defenders just had a really great success before culture was cool.

They were really pouring into their people and growing at a really high rate. And people were asking questions, you know, what are you doing? And you know, the founders are like, we're investing in our people and growing them and we're helping them to career path intentionally. So, So we were in a culture community where we were teaching that and having conversations, what's working for you, what's not working for you?

And so we just continued that path and we've added some additional layers to that intentionally. What does it look like to create a community and really invest in your mid-level manager? You know, we have a peer group for them. We have a peer group for

people and HR leaders, and then for executives.

And so, uh, for us it's really about developing the next generation of leaders and, uh, I also have a background in sales, so I was pretty successful right outta the gate, finding and attracting new companies that were excited about culture. Culture is your, cutting edge, difference between the competition, your people. And so, we grew from 60 members to over a hundred in, four months.

Tiffany Sauder: Amazing. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Tiffany Sauder: It's incredible. Yeah. Okay, so you were hired in in what, into what role?

Amber Fields: The Vice President of Culture Of

Tiffany Sauder: Of Culture. And what did that mean? tell me what that role was intended to do

Amber Fields: to lead. Okay. You know, I just wasn't qualified to be, you know, a CEO or a C-suite at that point. Cause I didn't have any experience.

Tiffany Sauder: But was that the intention of like, Hey, we're gonna bring you

into this role. Mm-hmm.Let you get your feet wet? Yes.

Amber Fields: Yes

Tiffany Sauder: and then we're gonna move you into the CEO role.

Amber Fields: Yes. And then, I started in August and in February, I think I'd proven myself enough and, and that I had the grit and that I was in it for the long haul. So in February I was made the Chief Culture Officer, which is equivalent to the ceo. So I run the things and I worked very closely with the co-owner Also, Mike Lance is an incredible leader.

He works really closely with me to teach me the things that I don't know. And I'm really grateful for that cuz he doesn't allow me to fall on my face too fast.

Tiffany Sauder: so you guys have like same page meetings or L tens or something? Yeah. what are the themes you most hear from him in molding you as a leader in this role?

Amber Fields: Yeah, be more strategic. we're a small team, so I'm in the day-to-day a lot as we grow our young team and build out new processes and build out new offerings for our members. I'm really in the day-today and he's like, you've gotta get them to the place where they can handle the day-to-day so that you can be more strategicand have a vision for where the company is going next.

Tiffany Sauder: Is there a comfort for you in the day-to-day? Yeah, it's weird not having tasks or emails.

Amber Fields: I wouldn't even know. Yeah.

Tiffany Sauder: I am like, what do you mean? Because there were seasons of elementary. I was not strategic cuz like, I mean,  I wouldn't even know what to do. Sit like, what's the task?What am I thinking about? Yeah. Yes. And it becomes a real habit I think there's something chemical or something that Like just the task, task, task. Like

Amber Fields: it's all we've known.

Tiffany Sauder: Yes, totally.

Amber Fields: all known. And so, and the other theme is financial, right?Think every decision we make has financial impact on the business. So you need to be more strategic and more financially mindful Mm-hmm. of every, that goes in and goes out.

Tiffany Sauder: So have you had visibility to a full p and l before this role?

Amber Fields: no

Tiffany Sauder: Okay. That's such a great, growth opportunity. Yes. Uhhuh yes.

Amber Fields: yes Yeah, because you're like, oh, so that means that, yes. And every quarter he's going over it with me and, and you're like, the reality of this is you gotta keep the growth going so that we can continue to do the great things that we're doing.

Tiffany Sauder: how have you absorbed the pressure of that? Because it's kind of helpful not to know.

Amber Fields: it was pretty stressful. Like at first I was really reactive, right? Oh, oh, so we've lost there. So we need to do this, so I'm just gonna go fix it. I've been a solutions for most of my career, right?

So I'm just gonna go find a solution. He's like, whoa, whoa, whoa. We gotta be strategic about the way that we do this cuz we can't just keep bandaid these situations. what's the long-term goal here and how are we gonna fix this from a long-term vision?And that requires me to sit back by myself and like think.

So that's been a struggle and it's been great because I'm learning a lot about myself and the process along the way.

Tiffany Sauder: Have you figured out how to get your brain to think yet? do you need context for that

Amber Fields: question? No, that's No, No, no. You have to clear space because every single day you could fill your calendar up with all the things, right? Everything that I enjoy doing, and it's not that I don't enjoy being strategic, it's to your point, figuring out how To be strategic So I literally schedule two strategic days for myself every week, and it's sitting in front of my computer thinking so,Thinking about where we are today, thinking about where we're trying to get to, getting a clear vision and then working the process backwards.

Tiffany Sauder: I encourage you to like really experiment. Maybe sitting in front of your computer, gets your brain to work. I have found, for me, being on a computer, it's too linear.

My mind is not linear. So having a big fat sharpie marker that's like fresh and new and a big 11 by 17 piece of paper. And I draw And the other thing I've learned for me is try different times a day And  in different days of the week, Mondays and Fridays, are bad for me.

Amber Fields: Me too.

Tiffany Sauder: Um, and I'm way better before noon. Yeah.

Amber Fields: I have, figured that out. My optimal time is 5:00 AM to noon. Okay? I can get up at five and it's quiet.The kids haven't gotten up yet. I get a cup of coffee and just go all of my, you know, public speaking, all of my great ideas around putting those presentations together, and those conversations come between five andseven. And, and after 12 I'm like, no good. Give me all the menial tasks. after

Tiffany Sauder: Totally. Give me emails. Yeah. Gimme emails. The other thing I've learned, um, is if I export for like maybe an hour and a half on my piece of paper or whatever, and then just go take a walk move my body 20 to 30 minutes, and just let my brain sit on what, I just got out for a couple minutes and then I just voice memo.What comes to mind, like, it's kind of the, it's how I get kind of past the obvious in my head,and like my brain starts making connections of what I just did. I have found this like idea of like, take a clarity break, which EOS is big on those words, or like, yeah, find some strategic time I really struggled with finding how I got my brain to show up for me, so,Mm-hmm. Versus just like, I don't know, sometimes I'm in the shower and things come to me.Yes. Which, that still happens, it's like being an artist. How do you begin to have a process so that you can create art at timeframes for customers versus whenever creativity strikes? And I think that this is the next barrier for leadership is like how you get yourself to be able to think at a different level.

Amber Fields: Yeah. to your point about themes, themes are really, Prominent in my life, and this is the third or fourth conversation that I've had around this particular So I'm like, okay, I hear you.  I, I literally had a session with one of my mentors who's, um, CEO of a member company of ours, Jason Coldiron. He said, are you being intentional about the days that you're strategic in the time of day? Like, are you flipping back and forth from strategy to tactical? And I'm like, yes.I go to my blind Zebra training. They're like, okay, so today we're gonna schedule out strategy days and tactical days. I was like, Okay. Apparently I'm not getting the message cuz nowto your point, this is the third time I've heard this. So it's a process, right? it's calendar management, it's organization.

Cuz that was the other thing. When you are a leader at this level, you have a lot of responsibilities and if you don't prioritize what those responsibilities are, you're never getting anything done. Mm-hmm. So it feels like,right. So this has just created so much freedom for me in my calendar and we're, a week weekend.

Tiffany Sauder: Yeah. That's awesome. So I feel like you've also been on a health journey, you look amazing. Thank so speaking of like calendar management, I have to take ownership of this is something I want in my life.

Somebody else can't do it for you. You have the biggest job you've ever had. You've had the most growth you've ever had, all those kinds of things, and yet you still found a way to make this happen. Yeah. through that if you're comfortable.

Amber Fields: Ooh, so last year, as I mentioned, I spent most of the year in imposter syndrome and feeling really frustrated and not feeling well.

I had finally quote unquote, arrived in the place where I have been searching and trying to get to my entire adult career, and yet I still did not feel like a whole person there was something that was missing. And when you don't prioritize yourself, What ends up happening is you lose it on the back So July of last year, I, I was feeling very stressed. It, there was a lot of moving parts inside of the business. We had some churn, you know, and we were bringing in new people, trying to find the right people that were in alignment. It was, it was just hard.

So in July I got sick, in August.  I got a kidney stone which I've never had in

my life. terribleIt's worse than childbirth. I've twins, So like, it was really For real? awful. Yes, it was. So bad. Uh, September I go on a girls trip. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna decompress. I was with my friend Erica Ballard and, and Rebecca Borman and we're out in the mountains in Colorado and the first day I stepped down on a rock in, the hot springs and break two of my toes.

Tiffany Sauder: What?

Amber Fields: random, right? The dumbest things that could possibly happen, and I feel like it was like the universe telling me, will you just get your life together? Because this is how careless you're being with yourself. And when you don't take care of yourself, none of this other stuff matters. and I had been thinking about better eating, moving your body. Like I'd been thinking you know, cuz you do that, cuz your weight fluctuates and all And so I just went back to my doctor and I was like, okay, what is actually happening with me? I'm not sleeping. I'm super stressed out. You know, they do the whole test, they check your hormones and it was really about that my hormones super outta whack from being on birth control for, you know, since you were  Young. And I needed to regulate that. I had no testosterone and I work out a lot. I'm huge hot Pilates fan runner walk, all the things. But my doctor was like, you could, uh, work out all you want, but if you don't have any testosterone, you don't build any muscle.

Tiffany Sauder: Wow.

Amber Fields: So we got that in alignment. Uh, my A1C was super high, so we got that in check, and I started eating better, moving  my body and controlling stress.Stress lives in that mid level sectionand that's where I felt the worst. Tiffany, the thing that I could say, and I, and I've said this to other people, like I needed myself to align. Internally to the way I looked externally, I felt really good on the inside, but when I saw myself that it was not the same person that I saw, I caught a glimpse of myself in a video.Cuz what we do is very audio, visual, all of those things. And I lost it

Tiffany Sauder: Like actually lost it.

Amber Fields: Oh, I started Yes. it was May of last year when all this super

Tiffany Sauder: visceral.

Amber Fields: and I thought that is not the way that I see myself. I cannot actually look that

way. So whatever the motivation, I was like, it's time and I'm tired of not taking care of myself and I stopped feeling bad for putting myself as a priority over my family cuz that's not what I'm doing.

To your point, there is an and and the, and is if Mom doesn't take care of herself, I'm not even gonna be here to be a part of your life. And then none of this matters. So when I am going to go work out, when I am, you know, taking more time at the grocery store because I gotta be thoughtful about the things that I eat, like this is all a part of it.

When I need to go away on a girl's trip to decompress my brain and, and get rid of some of the stress, like you just gotta be okay with it.and not to be made to feel guilty about it. Cuz mom, guilt is real. I lived with it for, you know, 20 years, and so in the last year, I feel fully aligned physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

Tiffany Sauder: Have you talked to your kids about it? Oh

Amber Fields: yeah. Yeah.

Tiffany Sauder: What's sound like when you talk to them?

Amber Fields: Just really encouraging them to get ahead of it now. Don't wait. You know, I'm. I'm almost 42, so I waited, you know, till my forties when I probably could have saved myself. No regrets, but I could have have myself a lot of stress and a lot of worry if I had just been aware of what was happening inside of my body that was impacting reaction, my behaviors, the, the mental stress, the fog, Mm-hmm.you know, and they're inspired by it, right? Like there, there is no guilt or shame about body image in our house. But there is a real conversation about the things that we eat and how it impacts our body and the way you move your body and just not prioritizing yourself. And I have three daughters,Mm-hmm.you know, and two sons. The boys are like, yeah, okay, mom. You know, but the girls are like, okay, I, you're right. probably should not, you know, packed my calendar with all the things so that I can find time to do the things that are important to me. And taking care of me is one

Tiffany Sauder: well. Mm-hmm. I think as moms in particular, we have. So much influence over like the language of the household far as like what food is in the fridge, what's on the counter to eat, what, whether or not meals are structured or it's just like you snack the whole day, or if we shut the TV off and have a fun idea to go outside.

Like it takes more effort and creativity to do that. But I, I feel the temperature of our house changed so dramatically based on how. Connected I am to my own health cues and intentionally about rest. It's like guys, we're shutting the house down. Everybody's going to bed at nine 40.you're not gonna die. I know you're a teenager, but it's good for You Yeah. Andso true. they do go to bed because there's nothing fun going on, know?

Amber Fields: And incorporating them into it. So going like, your point, something fun activity, let's go on a walk together. we have these two sweet golden doodle puppies and like, let's go walk them and have fun.

Cuz that's where the real conversation and connection happen. And that's, that's really what this is about. Right? Building authentic connection with our families. my daughter is in track, Let's go. Let's go run together. I'm not the greatest runner, but I enjoy it, so let's go do this together. And it's fun. She's very competitive, so she loves to beat me,

Tiffany Sauder: awesome. Yeah.

Tiffany Sauder: So as you look forward into the next, like three years,

what are some dreams or wishes that you wanna bring into reality for yourself?

Amber Fields: We love to travel as a family. We went to. Disney for Christmas and we took, uh, my five kids and the three oldest, significant others 22, 21, and 18. My 18 year old's at Purdue, her and her boyfriend are, and we just wanna travel together as a family. We wanna make it a point that every year the 10 of us get to go do something together. We unplug, be together. I was actually really surprised we're at Disney World. I figured the adult children would go on their own and do their own thing and I loved it because they wanted to stay with us. Hanging out with the two younger ones. know, I remember there's seven years difference between my brother and I, and he was annoying,

So I love that they don't really view it that way. They're very, they take care of them and they want to hang out. So traveling with my family is one, I wanna grow this business and make a bigger impact. You know, we're doing really good work to help leaders become the best versions of themselves, to create other great leaders, and primarily our footprint is in Indiana today.

Where else could this go? Can this be a regional and national thing? You know where, what Covid taught us is that virtual does work. It's different than the in-person and, and we get lots of great feedback about our in-person Cultural learning sessions are so amazing and there is an opportunity, you know, we have a great virtual platform too. growing this regionally and then nationally is definitely on my three year bucket list. And then, Just enhancing connection and building new relationships in life, period. I wouldn't be anywhere that I am today without the people in my life, and I feel very supported. We had a loss in our family recently and I feel very blessed to just feel covered and connected by people in the community and, and more than just family and friends.

You know, my entire staff came to the funeral. Wrap their arms around me and everybody in the funeral home's looking and they're like, what is that? And I'd walked away feeling like this pinched me cuz this doesn't really feel real. I want people to have that level of connection inside of their communities and inside of their worlds. So helping people develop those relationships. That's what I wanna be doing.

Tiffany Sauder: to, you know that they showed up for you that way because you show up like that for them.

Amber Fields: we'll start if  we

Tiffany Sauder: I'm serious though. I you do that for people. I, I don't know you that well. but I, but I see that in you, that you show up well for people and so know that that's a reflection of

Amber Fields: Thank you

Tiffany Sauder: you are and how you show up for people.

Amber Fields: Thank  you. It meant a lot. And that's, It's who I am. You know, I I want to be that person for them. And it feels good to know that it is reciprocated and it's not a tit for tat like you give me and I give you, it's a, well that's how a lot of my life felt like growing up, you know, competition and you know, you do for me and I'll do for you, especially in the sales world, right?

And it's just not that way. You just do for people what's needed and wanted, show up in the world and be who they need you to be. You're gonna, you're the universe and faith or whatever will show up and give you what you need.

Tiffany Sauder: Do you feel like it's been a journey for you to bring your whole self to work? I feel like you do that now. My My observation, Uh, yeah. Mm-hmm. has that

Amber Fields: Oh, yeah. Because in some positions my vulnerability is threatening to people. People don't like vulnerability, and I am a hundred percent a vulnerable invitation for you to be whoever you are in the moment

In our L 10 meetings. People have real life stuff going on and Personal is priority. We're doing really good work. We're not on the operating table, saving lives like I need you to be okay as an individual before we can move forward with business.

And just being, being that invitation for vulnerability. That hasn't been something that has been welcomed in previous places Mm-hmm.

Tiffany Sauder: That's cool. So, uh, closing question, unless there's anything you have for me. If you were to give advice to your 24 year old self, what would it be?

Amber Fields: be? Man? 24. What was I doing at 24? I had two stepkids. I had a kid of my own, she was a baby. Be courageous in everything that you do. There is a plan for you and there are no mistakes. Regardless of what path you take, there's an opportunity to learn from everything that you do. So you just have to step into it courageously and, and be okay with whatever path forward it is I questioned a lot of decisions that I made from 24 to, you know, 42 and to be confident.

Take ownership of the places where I've been. They were all supposed to happen. I learned from every single thing that I did, and it was okay at times to not be okay with it.

Tiffany Sauder: I love it. Thanks.

Amber Fields: You're welcome. This was so fun.

Tiffany Sauder: That was great.

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