Conversations with Amanda Bennett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Bennett. 

Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Motherhood changes you. It changes the way you see yourself. It changes the way you see the world. 

When my daughter was born in 2016, I quit my full-time job in nonprofit fundraising to stay at home with her. I have a Master’s degree in nonprofit management. I spent close to twelve years helping organizations raise millions of dollars for worthy causes. But becoming a new mom felt like a job I was completely unqualified for. 

I didn’t expect the transition into motherhood to include the mental and physical challenges I experienced. Breastfeeding was painful. I developed mastitis. My daughter had a dairy protein allergy so she needed special formula. And neither of us slept much at all. I struggled with symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression for months. 

After my daughter’s first birthday, it felt like a fog lifted and I slowly started to feel like myself again. I wanted to find something for myself outside of being a mom. I knew I didn’t want to go back to a job where I would be away from my family for sixty hours a week, hustling to help someone else reach their goals. My priorities had shifted. I knew I had to do something different than what I had done before to be the kind of role model I wanted to be for my daughter. 

I tried several career paths. None ended up feeling aligned with my skills, strengths, and what I enjoyed doing though. And I got frustrated, confused, and started to feel like I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for. 

Then one day, in a desperate prayer for direction and purpose, I heard God tell me to “speak life here”. 

Scared and unsure, I obeyed the simple call and started my own podcast for moms. Without an audience or any previous audio editing knowledge, I created the Gotcha Mama podcast in May 2019. It’s a podcast where I talk with moms and experts about the joys and challenges of life with young kids. The show encourages moms by sharing stories and lessons learned in motherhood. 

From that one little step, I discovered how much I loved creating and producing a podcast. And one of the best parts was getting to connect with other podcasting moms. I love how podcasts allow mom entrepreneurs to grow their audiences and impact more lives. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve already mentioned my struggles transitioning into motherhood and rediscovering myself. At the core of my identity struggle was that I hadn’t stopped to think about what I wanted. I hadn’t stopped long enough to understand what was most important to me and why. I’d been helping other people reach their goals for so long. Having a child made me consider my priorities and the kind of legacy I wanted to leave. 

My personality is easy-going, always steady (on the outside), go-along-to-get-along type. So, speaking up can feel uncomfortable. 

Podcasting allowed me to realize that my stories and opinions are worthy of sharing. I used to fear that people would disagree with me or not like what I had to say and it would keep me from saying anything. Then I would get texts from moms letting me know that a particular episode of the podcast was exactly what they needed to hear. It showed me that using my voice and sharing my perspective can help someone. And that shifted how I started to see myself. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in podcast marketing and growth strategy for mom entrepreneurs. One way I do this is through podcast outreach. I help mom entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their audience and impact by being a guest on podcasts. I offer done for you podcast outreach where I help you get booked on aligned podcasts. I also offer strategy sessions to help you jumpstart your own outreach and booking. 

A couple of things make me different from other people doing podcast marketing and outreach: 

I’m a certified Podcast Guesting Strategist through Mai-kee Tsang’s Pitch with Purpose program. It’s a certification program for people who value purpose and intention in podcast outreach. 

My background isn’t in Public Relations. My background is in nonprofit fundraising – donor relations more specifically. If you don’t know what that means, no worries, most people don’t. All you need to know is that creating and nurturing meaningful relationships was my job for twelve years. Even when I’m not paid for it, that has always been my number one priority in whatever role I’m in. 

And I love personality tests. It’s interesting to see how different personalities work together and use their strengths. I use my knowledge of the different communication preferences in my role as a podcast host and also when reaching out to other hosts for clients. 

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned so many lessons by becoming a mom and an entrepreneur. The most important lesson is that you have to surround yourself with a strong support system. Find people who will support you and help keep you accountable to reach your goals. Both in motherhood and in business, it’s lonely and overwhelming to do it all on your own. We are designed to want and need community. Find people who will lift you up and challenge you to keep going. It makes all the difference. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gotchamama.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotchamama
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gotcha-mama/id1462075647

Image Credits
Mandy Liz Photography