In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews social commerce strategists Amanda Bures and Leslie Johnson. After a brief sponsor message, the conversation explores personal stories that shaped their work ethic—Amanda’s lesson that nothing is handed to you and Leslie’s leap to Florida after college. They share the most valuable industry insight: social media has evolved from a communication tool into a commerce‑driven marketplace, and technology’s rapid change demands constant agility. Their broader business advice emphasizes saying yes to opportunities, working hard, and staying confident. When reflecting on advice to their younger selves, Amanda stresses self‑trust while Leslie urges embracing fear‑inducing challenges. The discussion turns to happiness, with Amanda highlighting supportive people and acceptance, and Leslie focusing on savoring small daily joys. Both recommend books—The Alchemist for Amanda and The Book of Joy for Leslie—distilling lessons about the journey and lasting joy. Their favorite motivational quotes are “Just keep swimming” and “Your only limit is you.” The episode concludes with a note that they can be found on LinkedIn.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode. ¡Hola!
¡Hola!
All right, everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. Today I have two very special guests. Their names are Amanda Bures and Leslie Johnson, and they are both social commerce strategists. So welcome to the show.
Thank you.
Thanks for having us.
Of course, I'm excited to have you both on. We'll dive in. The first question I have for you both is, what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Um, so I couldn't think of a specific story, but one thing that my parents always taught me is that nobody in life is going to hand you anything, and if you want something, you got to work for it. Whether it be a new car or an expensive pair of shoes or a dream job across the country, um, it's just not going to fall into your lap. Not the only person that's going to give it to you is yourself.
Yeah, for me, I would say probably one of my craziest stories that I learned the most from was when I graduated college, I didn't know what I was doing with my life. And I could either have moved back home with my parents or come to Florida. I got a call on Saturday asking me if I wanted to start a job on Monday. I said yes. I packed up my life that night and I drove to Florida the next day. And it has been just the best decision I've ever made. So I guess sort of the underlying value of that is If you don't take a risk, you can't get a reward. So step out of your comfort zone.
Yes, I love that. And the next one I have for you both is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
I would say that technology is always changing. So being agile is important and key. You need to consistently stay relevant. So you got to stay on top of your game.
And I would say since we are in this social media industry, social media is no longer a platform just to communicate with your friends and family like we all see it as. Um, social platforms are actually now commerce-driven areas of opportunity, and a lot of businesses are missing out on opportunities to sell to their target demographics through social media.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry-specific.
I would say to never say no, because opportunity is opportunity and not everybody gets one. Even if it's not for you, it'll be a learning experience and you'll be able to gain something from it.
And for me, it's just to be confident and honestly just to work hard. When you fight to become the best professional you can be, everything else sort of just falls in place.
And if you could both give your younger selves one piece of advice, what would that be?
I would tell young Amanda that I'm smarter than I think and that I need to learn how to trust myself. It's the classic case of always helping other people but never taking my own advice.
Yeah, I would tell young Leslie to do all the things that scare you because they are worth it.
And I'm excited for your answers on this one from both of you. In your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
I would say surrounding yourself with good, fun people and to also always remember that if you can't change it, accept it and move on.
So for me, this one was really hard. I'm still so young and I'm still learning the question to this answer— the answer to this question every day, I feel like, and I'll keep learning as I grow older. But if I could say one thing, it's probably to fill your life with the little things that bring you joy. Whether that be waking up to the sunrise, warm cup of coffee, going to lunch with a friend because you know you're the only one— they're the only one who can make you laugh so hard your cheeks hurt. It's not about the big things, and I think we get so stuck on the general picture. Instead, it's about the little choices we make along the way that help us find happiness in our day-to-day lives.
And what is the best book that each of you have read, and what was the number one thing you learned from it?
So I don't have a favorite book or a best book, but the most recent book I read was The Alchemist. It's an easy read, but it's a simple book to reiterate that it's the journey that counts and not the destination in life.
And for me, it was The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. And it's basically explaining how can you find lasting joy when there's so much terror and trauma and sadness constantly happening in our world. And ultimately, at the end of the day, it's helping others.
And what is your— from each of you, what is your favorite quote and why?
I picked "Just keep swimming" because it's easy to live by. Things always get hard. You just got to go through the tough times and move forward in order to put it behind you.
And for me, it was "Your only limit is you." I know it's short and sweet, but it speaks volumes. I think it's easy to forget how much control you have in your own life and that you shouldn't forget it.
Yes. This was a really cool interview having you both. The last question I have for you both before we let you both go is where is the best place for us to find you both online?
I would say LinkedIn. That's how you found the both of us.
So awesome.
So I will put in the show notes both of your LinkedIn's. And again, I really appreciate you both coming on.
Yes, thanks for having us.
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