In this episode of the Business Blast Podcast, host Tyler Wagner interviews Amy Jauman, a certified social media strategist and Chief Learning Officer at the National Institute for Social Media. Amy shares a pivotal personal story about leaving a stable, well‑liked job to pursue a consulting gig that fell through, emphasizing the importance of trusting one’s gut even when outcomes are scary. She offers cross‑disciplinary advice on patience and mindfulness in both marketing and education, urging listeners to stay the course while continuously checking that their efforts remain effective. Amy’s core business insight is to recognize oneself as the common denominator in both success and failure, using self‑reflection to identify patterns that need adjustment. She cautions young entrepreneurs to manage excitement‑driven spending and maintain financial prudence. Discussing happiness, Amy defines it as fulfillment derived from meaningful work and a life design that aligns with personal values, illustrating with examples ranging from a high‑paying waste collector to writers balancing side jobs. Her favorite business book, Blue Ocean Strategy, taught her to seek uncontested market spaces rather than competing in crowded arenas. Amy’s favorite quote, “Not all who wander are lost,” reflects her blend of structured planning and openness to serendipity. The episode concludes with her online handles: LinkedIn (Amy Jauman), Twitter and Instagram (amyjauman).
Chapters
All right everyone, welcome back to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have a special guest. Her name is Amy Jommond. She is a certified social media strategist and Chief Learning Officer for the National Institute for Social Media. So welcome to the show, Amy.
Thank you so much.
Of course. So the first question I have for you, we'll dive right in, is what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
You know, that I didn't even have to think twice about because about 7 years ago I was in the best job I'd ever had in my life until one day it just wasn't. We had leadership changes and all kind of just a lot of upheaval in the work environment. And suddenly I was in this job that wasn't a fit for me anymore. So I decided to the first chance I had with a long-term consulting gig, I decided I'd quit my nice stable job and go into consulting. So sure enough, sight unseen, a local big company liked my background, hired me for a 6-month contract. I was good to go. So I quit my full-time job. I took the leap. And then 3 days later, they canceled the contract. They lost their funding. So I had no safety net. And there I was, and I could have gotten my job back. I went, you know, I was respectful. I didn't light the building on fire on my way out or anything like that. So I could have gone back. I could have said, hey, my plans changed, but I didn't. And to this day, I can't figure out why I didn't. The smart decision would have actually been to have stayed in the job that I had. And maybe it was pride or, embarrassment or— but whatever it was that propelled me forward, the big underlying lesson was to have faith in a decision you make when in your heart you know it's the right thing to do, even if something absolutely terrifying happens that may make it seem like a horrible idea.
And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Well, I work both in education and in marketing, but it's kind of funny because the I think the same piece of advice applies to both, which is to be patient, but to also be mindful. So with marketing, if you make a plan, know that it's not gonna be an overnight success in most cases. Certainly it happens, but usually it takes time. It takes adjustments. Same thing with education. If you wanna learn something, don't think because you got up one morning and decided, hey, I'm gonna get better at X, that by the end of the day, you're gonna be an expert. The other side of that coin though is that you should be patient, but don't hang on to something that isn't working for you. Still be mindful and still make sure that everything you've set into motion is still working for you, still on target, and that you are still making progress. So patient, but pay attention to make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
And your answer here might tie in with the next question, but what's your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily like industry specific?
Sure, it's actually completely different. Awesome. I think the one thing I really like to tell people is to recognize whether it is in success or failure, pay attention to when you're the common denominator. So when I talk to business owners or people who are attempting to get others on board and they're really struggling and they're saying, oh, you know, people, they just don't get it, or nobody is understanding the value here. And they tell all these stories and they voice it from the standpoint of, I can't believe how stupid people are that they aren't figuring out that they should hire me, that they should buy my product, that they should read my book. And the common denominator is them, right? So there's something about how they're delivering their message. There's something about how they're engaging with people because that's the only thing that is the common link across the board. So, and it's the same thing with success. Don't undervalue yourself. If you look at all of these successful endeavors, maybe you're on a team or don't lose yourself in the mix either. Stand up and recognize, hey, you know, I did that. Every time I pursue this kind of an endeavor, I have great success. This is something I'm really good at because it can also help drive people kind of in the right direction by looking for those patterns where you're continually successful, just like the patterns where you're continually struggling.
I agree with that so much. So just to chime in there on that, like I always say, you know, and in both cases, right, you should look at yourself because if you, you know, in your first example there of like blaming others for the reason that your product's not selling or your book or whatever it is, that like doesn't give you the control and it doesn't allow you to change anything. So that's always what you're going to do. You're never going to grow. So I always look at myself, whether it's a good or bad thing, so that I have the control to, you know, fix it or to, you know, continue to grow what is already successful. So really love that piece of advice. And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
My younger self, I would have liked her to have spent less money. Isn't that what everybody says? I think, or maybe people don't want to admit it, but the business side of it is, especially for young entrepreneurs and innovators and things like that, always be very careful about your excitement and don't mix up your commitment and your excitement with someone trying to sell you something that's a slam dunk or a sure thing because if you have the money or more often when you're younger, when you have the line of credit, it can be too easy to spend it. So just be careful about getting caught up in that excitement and always take a look to see if there's a way that you can wait or avoid expenses.
And to go a little bit of a different direction, in your opinion, what's the key to happiness?
Being fulfilled by the work you do in whatever way is meaningful to you. So I'm an educator. So when I go to work every day, I encounter people who need help with something. I have students who follow up with me who say, you know, hey, 4 months ago you taught me this and I used it today. And I got this job because I got certified. And thank you so much. You know, I have that kind of fulfillment, but it isn't always in the work you do. Sometimes it's in the life you set up. You know, I have a I have a friend who is a medical waste garbage collector, I think is how he describes his job. And he will tell you it is the worst job. He hates his job, but it allows him to make— it's a very high-paying job. He works a very small number of hours, which allows him to spend a large amount of time with his family, and they are able to travel and visit their family all around the world. That is what's fulfilling to him, finding some sort of a job that allows him to support his family and have that kind of a life. So I kind of, I think everybody looks for the job that is fulfilling to them. And I always encourage them to figure out what fulfillment in their life is going to look like because sometimes, and with writers, actually, you've probably run into this. Some people find waiting tables incredibly fulfilling because they can do it 3 days a week, which gives them 4 days straight in a row where they can write. That's incredibly fulfilling, right? So just finding that kind of design that makes your life whole.
Definitely, I agree 100%. And I do find that a lot with writers. It's like, it's a balance, right? Because it takes time to become successful as an author. So doing something, maybe that, you know, waiting tables while you're pursuing that other passion is a great way to start. So the next question I have going on with books is what's the best book you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from it?
So my favorite book of all time, it's kind of an old one now, uh, is Blue Ocean Strategy. And the biggest thing I learned from that— so Blue Ocean Strategy, essentially the core message is instead of competing with everybody that's out in the world, uh, create your own blue ocean where there is no competition, um, and then just go be the best version of yourself, right? And And the big learning from that is, you know, if you have to work so much harder, if you are just like everybody else and you're just trying to scream the loudest or you are paying the most to boost your social media ads or you're working the most hours, which is a perfectly fine way to be successful. But if you can figure out a way to be the only one offering something, whatever it is, If you can be that person, then your path to getting your, whatever you're contributing out into the world is just so much smoother and such an easier way of promoting yourself and your business, your product, your book, whatever it is.
And what's your favorite quote and why?
Well, my favorite quote, again, it's not a very unusual one, but it's that not all who wander are lost. So I am a bit of a wanderer, which is— some people, I feel like they might disagree because I'm also hyper-organized. I live and die by my calendar and all of that good stuff. But there's just so much to be learned, uncovered, found by just trusting the path that just appears before you and not always knowing exactly what's supposed to happen when and where you're supposed to end up and just kind of trusting that moving in a certain direction that feels right is the way to go can be exactly what leads to your success.
Well, thank you so much for coming on, Amy. The last question that I have for you is, where is the best place for people to find you online?
Well, if they find me on LinkedIn, I'm the only Amy Jauman out there. It's J-A-U-M-A-N. And then on Twitter and on Instagram, my handle is Amy Jauman, A-M-Y-J-A-U-M-A-N.
Perfect. Thank you again for coming on, Amy. We really appreciate it.
Thanks, Tyler. The podcast you just heard was made using Anchor. Ever thought about making your own podcast? Anchor makes it really easy for anyone to get started. It's a one-stop shop for recording, hosting, and distributing podcasts. Best of all, it's 100% free. Sign up now at anchor.fm/new. That's anchor.fm/new to get started.
