“You Might as Well Build Where You Live”—Why Amanda Fischer Stopped Reaching Backwards

How do you grow a business when the “safe” path is making you feel stuck? In this candid and energizing episode, Thomas Helfrich welcomes back Amanda Fischer, a marketing strategist, agency founder, and stand-up comedian who’s spent 15 years helping companies focus less on fluff and more on revenue.

Amanda shares how she cut the tie to traditional business development roles and turned three job offers into her first three clients. She now runs a hybrid consultancy and agency while pursuing creative balance, family time, and the kind of work that actually makes a difference.

About Amanda Fischer:

Amanda Fischer is the founder of Grade A Digital and a private marketing consultant who helps founders, sales leaders, and marketers align their strategy with revenue. With a unique blend of sharp business acumen and comedic timing, she guides businesses through brand strategy, marketing execution, and sales integration. Amanda is also the creative mind behind the upcoming personal brand Ask Amanda, where she brings no-BS advice to companies navigating fast growth, economic uncertainty, and team limitations—without losing their sense of humor.

In this episode, Thomas and Amanda discuss:

• Cutting ties with conventional job roles
  Amanda shares how she turned down multiple job offers—and turned them into consulting contracts instead.
• Starting before you're “ready”
  She dives into why waiting for the “perfect time” is often just fear in disguise, and how action beats hesitation every time.
• Balancing agency execution with advisory work
  Amanda explains how her dual role as a strategist and agency founder helps clients scale more efficiently—and more realistically.
• Finding the right client fit (and when to shift focus)
  From supporting small businesses to serving national brands’ local teams, Amanda reveals how identifying the right audience changed her business trajectory.
• The real metrics that matter
  Spoiler: it's not likes or followers. Amanda urges marketers to stop obsessing over vanity metrics and focus on conversion and impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Start before you’re ready
  Perfection is the enemy of progress. Just move—and optimize later.
• Turn job offers into business opportunities
  Amanda didn’t get hired—she got retained. The right framing changes everything.
• Balance is the real measure of success
  Amanda defines success as the ability to grow professionally without sacrificing personal time, family, or creativity.
• Build where you live
  After years of remote business in DC, Amanda shares why local networking and in-person relationships are a long-overdue growth lever.

Connect with Amanda Fischer:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akfischer/
📧 Email: [email protected]

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 InstantlyRelevant.com: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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