Amanda Russo overcame significant challenges before basking in her moment.This is her story.
You may already know me as Amanda Russo, Business Consultant and Co-Owner of Babes who Create a Digital Marketing Company.But what you don’t know is that the journey to get me there has been anything but easy. Here’s my story:
After graduating summa cum laude from college, I spent 14 years building a successful career in finance that spanned two Fortune 100 investment management companies, a private equity fund, and several scrappy side gigs. I always knew I wanted to start my own business but knew that I needed to “earn my stripes” first. Finally in 2017 I was able to retire from my 6-figure corporate job and launch my own consulting practice aimed at making entrepreneurship more accessible. In 2018 I personally invested in my favorite “accidental entrepreneur” and her digital marketing company, which we’ve grown over 300x in our first year of partnership.
Who has Influenced your life the most?
My father, who raised me as a single parent after my mother passed away when I was 4. He worked three full-time jobs and sacrificed everything in order to provide me with all that I needed to be successful in this life, including a strong worth ethic, thick skin, rebellious nature, and determination to prove anyone wrong who dared to underestimate me. Hence the tagline for my business: DEFIANTLY THRIVE.
What are your proudest achievements?
My children, first and foremost, followed by my graduating college as a single parent at the top of my class and being selected to deliver the commencement address at graduation
Who Inspires you?
My mother, who passed away from breast cancer when I was 4. But she lived her short life to the fullest, traveling the world, finishing medial school and going on to do important research in the area of women’s health, and being featured in the “Who’s Who of American Women”.
She didn’t settle down and have a child until she was 40, and developed breast cancer a couple years later, fighting like hell until it finally took her life at 44.
What makes an inspiring woman?
An inspiring woman, like my business partner Shelby, is made of ruthless determination, self-confidence, ability to move forward in spite of failure, and trust in her own intuition.
Tell us five things no one knows about you?
I think some people know these things but most may not:
1.-I have 7 tattoos and want about 100 more.
2.-I have a pretty intense fear of flying but that doesn’t keep me from doing it.
3.-I’m a bit of a wine (pinot noir) and coffee snob. Give me the good stuff, or don’t bother.
4.-I’m a horror and Halloween fanatic.
5.-I’m a Type 1 diabetic that was diagnosed in my 20’s, which is extremely rare from a medical standpoint.
