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 Accident"
01:17 — The Childhood Struggle That Became Her Superpower
03:53 — Early Acting Career, Rejection & an Eating Disorder
05:18 — The Pen Audition That Launched Her Pitching Career
07:19 — Selling $1 Billion in Juicers with Jack LaLanne
08:22 — From Kim Kardashian to 100,000 Students
08:50 — Pitch Secrets A to Z: The Upcoming Book & Tour
11:38 — Two Degrees in Three Years (and Why She Regrets Nothing)
15:27 — The Moment She Realized Communication Was Her Core
16:29 — Her Favorite F-Word
21:19 — Why Pitching Is the Ultimate Parenting Tool

📘 Forbes' new book: Pitch Secrets, A to Z — https://pitchsecretsbook.com/
🔗 Connect with Forbes Riley: https://forbesriley.com/

Connect with Amanda:
https://amandadake.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/
Grab Amanda's Book: https://book.amandadake.com

Subscribe for real conversations about clarity, growth, and the changes that happen along the way.

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:

➡️ Walking away from a 25-year career without burning everything down
➡️ The hidden cost of staying in the wrong role "just a little longer"
➡️ Why high achievers get stuck in the condition trap
➡️ Reclaiming creativity after years of "fitting in"
➡️ Building a life and business that feels like you—without the mask

If you've ever looked around at your "successful" life and thought, "How did I end up here?" this episode will hit home.

Key Moments
00:00 – When success doesn't feel like success
04:12 – The moment she realized she was on the wrong bus
11:30 – The "condition trap" that keeps high achievers stuck
17:45 – When safety turns into a cage
25:20 – Nearing 50 and refusing to wait any longer
32:40 – Small steps to start a course correction
41:10 – Advice for leaders who feel trapped by their own success

For more conversations on clarity, leadership, and the messy middle of growth, hit subscribe and turn on notifications.

👇 If this episode resonates, tell us in the comments: What "safety" are you holding onto that might actually be a cage?

Connect with Kathleen: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenchabus/

Connect with Amanda:
Book: https://book.amandadake.com
Website: https://amandadake.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/

Most corporate dumpster fires do not start as crises.
They start as conversations that never happen.

In this episode, Amanda Dake sits down with leadership communications expert Heather Lisle, the person organizations call when internal issues quietly escalate into full scale problems.

This conversation follows a clear how it started, how it's going arc. Heather shares her early career inside government and corporate leadership, the pivot forced by COVID, and how avoided conversations, indecision, and miscommunication often sit underneath profit loss, employee churn, and leadership breakdowns.

They also talk about the personal side of leadership, making decisions, visibility, criticism, and what changes when you move from employee to owner.

This is a grounded conversation about responsibility, clarity, and what actually fixes broken teams.

Key Moments:
00:00 Dumpster fires and why Heather gets called
00:21 How it started, early career and diffusing conflict
02:21 The pivot, relocation, COVID, and survival mode
05:08 Owning the problem she actually solves
10:32 Making decisions and saying what you want
12:11 Not deciding is still a decision
17:46 The man in the arena and handling criticism
26:27 How it's going now, choosing clients and real change

This conversation is not about leadership theory.
It is about clarity, responsibility, and the cost of avoiding what needs to be said.

If you lead people, manage teams, or feel something drifting inside your organization, this conversation will feel familiar.

Connect with Heather:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherlisleco/
Website: https://www.heatherlisle.com/
Book: https://www.heatherlisle.com/book

Connect with Amanda:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/
Website: https://amandadake.com
Book: https://book.amandadake.com