Amy Stone: Championing the Beauty of Imperfect Adulting

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

Amy Stone is an author, coach, and creator of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, where she champions adults navigating life's rich complexities. Through her engaging interview-style podcast and vibrant online community, she empowers individuals to embrace non-linear life journeys and continuous personal growth. She’s a mom, a stepmom and a seven-time Ironman finisher who bakes sourdough bread and is busy researching itty bitty campervans for upcoming empty nest adventures. Amy combines lived experience with practical guidance to foster authentic personal development.

Who are your customers?

My customers are women who are experiencing transitions in their lives. They are curious about personal development and they like to learn from others who have actual experience.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I had a much shorter answer for this question when I was 30 than now when I'm 51. I worked in a fintech company in my 20s...back then we called it a dot com. In my 30s I owned a family portrait photography studio. I stepped into coaching in my 40s and then Imperfect Adulting is my newest project.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

Going into business for myself has just always felt like the next logical step. I have learned that some people don't think like that but for me I get an idea and I begin to think to myself well how could I create that?

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Funny story about that. In middle school my entire class took a career aptitude test. Mine came back suggesting entrepreneurship. What it actually said was "farmer." which was hilarious since I lived in New York City and I don't grow things. But when my parent called the counselors office to ask about it they were told that what it really meant is that I was likely to be drawn to build a business of my own. So, yes.

Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

This is a new business project and It's going very well. I always want things to happen faster but I am seeing steady growth and I love it.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

In the online digital business world there is no shortage of people who will offer to help you grow your business - for a fee, of course. I think it can be challenging to figure out who will make a good growth partnership.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

I'm very proud of the positive feedback and reviews that The Art of Imperfect Adulting is receiving from the audience and the guests on the show.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

I went from zero audience to top 5% podcast in 6 months. The Art of Imperfect Adulting is still a small show but I am proud of that rapid growth.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

It's tough for me to imagine years into the future for a project that is only 6 months off the starting block. I have a vision for what I hope to create but I'm also trying to be open to what consumers want. Lots of growth. I launched with what can definitely be considered a minimum viable product and a bootstrapped budget and team. Lot's of improvement in quality of the offerings. And expansion of the team to help turn what feels like pie in the sky dreams into reality.

What is your top productivity tip? 

I find time blocking to be very helpful for productivity and having a dedicated work space.

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

I have clearly defined work hours that I respect for myself.

What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I truly believe that balance is not a realistic thing in life so I like to focus more on juggling which means figuring out what are the important things right now and giving those things the time, resources and attention that are necessary.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

This is a good question. I think I wish I would have realized how iterative business is. When I started I thought that I would do one business or project forever and that hasn't been true.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

This is not a question but I hire a lot of creatives so I find that it's helpful to ask them to show me what they like to create and what they are proud of rather than asking if they can do a specific thing on my to do list.

Are you a Mamaprenista? If so, please share your best advice for simultaneously managing a business and a family

Yes, I have 4 kiddos. They are mostly grown now. Having good communication and by good I actually mean great or even phenomenal and decentralized communication where you are not the main point of contact ... about all the scheduled events for each person in the family is critical. If you are the person that everybody leans on to keep the calendar moving it's really tough to find time for yourself.

What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

Google calendar. I love google calendar.

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

I'm going to say Zoom. I do so much of my work with zoom and it's really a tool that has made what I do possible.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Just start. It feels safe to plan and try to find all the answers before putting an idea or concept out into the world and planning is good but when it comes to business often the most important information comes from the feedback of actual clients and you just can't get that without actually building something and putting it out into the world.

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