Amy Yip LLC

12/12/2025

✈️ The scene at the airport while standing in the security line: A toddler started screaming and writhing in his mom’s arms. Full meltdown.

His mom was clearly at her limit. Holiday travel. Long lines. Everyone's patience worn thin.

So what did she do? She lifted him up high, Lion King style, and screamed:

“CALM DOWN!!! Stop being so loud!!”

And I just stood there, watching the irony unfold in real time.

She was asking him to do the very thing she couldn't model in that moment.

Here's what I know to be true as a mom of two littles and as someone who works with executive teams:

👉🏼 Our kids don’t learn from what we say.

👉🏼 They learn from how we show up.

👉🏼 And the same is true for our teams.

It's December.

You're closing the year. Wrapping projects. Hitting targets. Preparing for January launches.

And in the middle of all that, you're probably telling your team to stay calm. Stay focused. Don't let the pressure get to them.

But...

How are you showing up when someone misses a deadline?

How are you responding when the exec team piles on one more thing before the holiday break?

How are you holding yourself when you're running on fumes?

Most of us were never taught how to process big emotions.

So when year-end stress hits, we're not calm and grounded. We're dysregulated.

And everyone around us feels it.

But here's the thing:

When we can stay grounded (even in the chaos) something changes.

With our kids, our calm helps them co-regulate.

With our teams, our presence does the same thing.

We become the steady ground they can stand on.

If you want to know how you're really showing up as a leader right now just take a look at your team.

What are they mirroring back to you?

Here's what I'm practicing this December:

👉🏼 Noticing when I'm dysregulated. When my jaw is tight. When my shoulders are scrunched up by my ears.

👉🏼 And pausing long enough to let my body settle before I respond.

It's not about being perfect. It's about being intentional.

Your team doesn't need you to have it all together.

They need you to be grounded enough to help them find their ground too.

XO

Amy

12/11/2025

When we step into a new leadership role, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to prove we belong there.

There’s urgency.

There’s expectation.

Make changes. Show results. Establish your authority.

But here's what I've learned working with C-Suite leaders:

Nobody (except maybe yourself) expects you to have all the answers on day one.

Your first assignment? Learn as much as you can.

Some of the most successful leaders I've worked with spend their first 8-12 weeks just listening.

Not fixing.

Not performing.

Not changing.

Just listening with curiosity.

They study the organization, their new colleagues, and their key stakeholders.

They get curious about what's really driving decisions, how the team works, and what people have quietly learned to tolerate.

💡 They lead with questions, not answers.

Because curiosity is strategic.

It gives you the full picture before you make a move.

It builds trust.

It signals to your team: I see you. I'm here to understand before I act.

You weren't chosen for this role because of what you could do on day one.

You were chosen because the organization believed you could lead this team well. And leading well starts with understanding what you’ve inherited.

So slow down to speed up.

✨ Ask more.

✨ Assume less.

✨ Listen to understand.

That's where real alignment starts.

What’s the hidden dynamic you need to understand before you start making changes?

XO

Amy

11/24/2025

This morning my 15-month-old grabbed his glowing turtle, hit the music button, and started bouncing to a lullaby.

I was right there. But he wasn’t looking at me.

He didn’t check for my reaction.

He just… danced.

Then clapped for himself like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And it hit me:

I don’t remember the last time I let myself be proud without waiting for someone else to notice.

The leaders I work with feel this even more intensely.

You're applauding everyone else.

Holding everything together.

Making the hard calls no one sees.

And meanwhile, no one claps for you. And you definitely don't clap for yourself.

We forget that leadership is still a human experience.

And humans need to feel proud. Even when no one is watching.

So here's your permission slip as we enter Thanksgiving week:

Name one thing you carried this year that no one saw. Then clap for yourself.

You don't have to tell anyone. But at least let yourself feel it.



That’s where real leadership begins.

11/14/2025

"Is it a big deal or a small deal?" I heard this today at my 3-year-old's parent–teacher conference.

When a child has a meltdown: big emotions, tears, complete overwhelm...

The teacher gently asks:

"Is it a big deal or a small deal?"

It gives them a moment to pause.

To breathe.

To see the problem for what it really is.

The part that really struck me? The kids now ask each other this question!

And nine times out of ten, they realize it's a small deal.

Driving home, I kept thinking about how important (and how hard!) this is to practice in both life and leadership.

In our fast-paced lives, small deals often masquerade as big ones.

👉🏼 A misinterpreted message.

👉🏼 A tense moment in a meeting.

👉🏼 A decision that bypassed someone.

They're often not big deals, but they consume time, trust, and emotional bandwidth as if they are.

Meanwhile, the actual big deals: the things that TRULY shape our relationships, our work, our well-being... quietly wait in the background.

Misalignment.

Unclear expectations.

Unspoken needs.

Disconnection.

Avoided conversations.

Those are the things that erode trust, performance, and even the quality of our lives… not the tiny moments we spiral over.

The most grounded leaders and the most effective teams aren’t the ones who avoid problems.

They’re the ones who know which problems deserve their energy.

So here’s the question I’m taking with me, and maybe you will too:

💡 Is it a big deal or a small deal?

And more importantly:

💡What small deal are you treating like a big one right now?

Share in comments! I'm curious what patterns emerge.

XO,

Amy

11/03/2025

Change tests us. It reveals us. In life and in leadership.

How we meet it: our mindset, our curiosity

Becomes the blueprint for how we lead others through it.

The leaders who thrive don’t have all the answers.

They ask better questions.

They listen deeper.

They make room for growth, especially when it’s uncomfortable.

Because when you model curiosity, your team models courage.

And that’s where transformation begins.

As the seasons shift, ask yourself:

👇🏼

How am I modeling the mindset I want my team to have toward change?

Remember: Each new season brings new possibilities

10/30/2025

Whew... feeling deeply grateful (and still in disbelief) to receive the Alumni Leadership Achievement Award from the University of Maryland, Department of Communication. ❤️

When I graduated 22 years ago, I had no idea how powerful communication truly is or how deeply it would shape my life.

👉🏼 Communication is at the heart of my work with teams: helping them build trust and truly listen to one another. Because at the foundation of every effective team is connection and understanding.

👉🏼 It also shapes how I share stories on TEDx stages and beyond, using storytelling to connect, inspire, and remind people that they’re not alone in their struggles or dreams.

And most importantly...

👉🏼 Communication helped me to heal and reconnect with my parents. To listen with curiosity, speak from the heart, and ultimately write a book to help others do the same. To be at a place today where my parents tell me "We love you, we're proud of you."

Grateful to the UMD COMMunity for this honor and for reminding me of the incredible power of communication: to build bridges, deepen connection, and transform lives. ❤️

10/24/2025

Pressure. Uncertainty. Constant change. We're all feeling it right now.

We're all moving fast, doing our best, but feeling stretched thin.

And when you’re deep in it, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re doing it all.

That’s why everyone, whether you're leading a team or part of one, needs a clear “why.”

Not just goals or metrics, but an aspirational vision.

A shared picture of what’s possible.

Something that gives meaning to the hard work, especially when things get tough. 💪

My why?

Freedom.

Freedom to spend six hours on a Thursday going on a pumpkin patch field trip with my little guy.

And more important than just being able to go is being able to go....

✨ Without the guilt

✨ Without feeling like I need to catch up later

✨ Just there because it's what matters to me most

When you’re clear on your why, everything else starts to align. 🎯

What's your why?

XO

Amy

10/22/2025

Just kicked off our work with the CLOC team with a 4-hour Mental Fitness session and WOW!! What a start.

There was a moment when you could feel the energy in the room shift.

From polite conversation to real connection.

People began opening up about their saboteurs, sharing what holds them back, and realizing they weren’t alone. You could see the relief, the empathy, and the trust start to build.

That’s the power of this work: When a team learns to understand themselves and each other on a deeper level, alignment and growth follow naturally.

Excited to continue the journey with this amazing team. 🌱

10/16/2025

It's been a wild year.

A year ago I was sitting in the audience at , running out during breaks to pump. I had a 3-month-old at home and had just given myself 2 months of maternity leave (which is a super scary thing to do as an entrepreneur when the business relies on YOU to run it)

When I wasn't working, there was still overhead... but nothing coming in.

That scary feeling lit a fire in me. And when I saw all the CEOs on stage sharing their story I thought, "I want to be where they are next year."

I made a bold decision to invest in myself and build a business that would:

💡 Make a bigger impact on the people I work with

⚙️ Not rely on me to constantly be “on”

❤️ Give me the freedom of time to be fully present with my two little ones and my husband

Fast forward to today, I got to be the person sitting on stage, sharing my story, in hopes of inspiring others to the possibilities.

And my firm today:

💼 Has incredible new clients

🌟 Is making a deeper impact with the organizations we partner with

💛 And most importantly, I’m spending more time playing with my two little boys and my husband

But here's the thing: We’ve all seen the iceberg image where you only see the tip above the water, while the massive foundation lies hidden beneath the surface.

I’m proud of what’s visible… but what you don’t see is everything that’s happened underneath:

✨ Learning new skills

✨ Implementing new systems

✨ Wrestling with mind trash (so much of it!)

✨ Testing new strategies

✨ And stepping into A LOT of discomfort

And while the growth and impact are pretty awesome, what I'm most excited about?

Next Thursday, I'll be taking the day off to go on my 3.5-year-old’s pumpkin patch field trip 🎃 — something my immigrant parents never could, because they had to work to survive.

The freedom to be able to do that means everything to me.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of BoldHaus, the BoldHaus faculty, and the BoldHaus community.

I’m deeply grateful for the growth, the challenges, and the people who placed their trust me.

And the best part? We still have 11 weeks left to create even more magic before 2026 begins. 🚀

XO,
Amy 💛

10/10/2025

Over the last week: 🍁 We chased the fall foliage. 🏔️ We explored the White Mountains.

And with two littles in tow, my husband and I had to be a high-performing, resilient team.

It got me thinking: the same foundations I help leadership teams build inside organizations are what make any team, even a parent team, thrive.

Because traveling with kids requires teamwork at its finest.

💡 Shared Vision - Before the trip, aligning on: "What kind of experience do we want to create for our family? What's our big vision?"

🤝 Trust and Psychological Safety - Feeling safe to say “I need a break” or “I’m stressed,” and knowing it’ll be met with support

⚡ Productive Conflict - When there are disagreements (and let's be honest... there were plenty!), knowing how to move through them together

🗣️ Clear communication - About plans, timing, and expectations (because missed nap windows are no joke 😅)

🎯 Clarity of Roles & Strengths - Who’s better at finding a good breakfast spot? Who’s navigating? Who’s getting which kid to bed?

✅ Mutual accountability - Owning our part in creating the experience we want

Whether it’s a family road trip or a corporate team, the agility, momentum, and impact of any team comes down to the same foundations: alignment, trust, and a shared commitment to navigate challenges TOGETHER.

Because at the end of the day, the strongest teams (at work or at home) are built, not born… through every moment and choice we make.

👇🏼

What intentional choice will you make today to show up with more trust or grace for the teams you're on?

Xo

Amy

09/23/2025

Ever been here?

You’re in a meeting. Everyone nods, everyone seems aligned. Then you walk out… and it’s like the team forgot everything.

Suddenly, priorities shift. Assumptions clash. People pull in different directions.

What’s happening?

It’s not just “soft stuff.” It’s a communication problem.

And here’s the reality:

♨️ Poor communication creates product problems.

📉 Poor communication is a revenue problem.

💰 Poor communication is one of the most expensive—and underestimated—business problems.

👉 Grammarly estimates it wastes 7.5 hours per employee every week.

That’s $12,506 per employee per year.

For a 1,000-person company?

That’s $12.5M drained annually.

And the money isn’t the only cost. When teams silo off, leave meetings with different interpretations, or give customers conflicting answers, the damage multiplies.

👇🏼

Check out the latest edition in The Alignment Gap, where I break down the 3 biggest red flags to watch for (and share a $500M wake-up call my client experienced).

I'd love to hear: Which communication red flag shows up most often in your organization?

Xo,

Amy

The Most Expensive Problem Leaders Overlook Deadlines slip. Teams point fingers.

09/19/2025

✨ I used to SUCK at celebrating myself. I would dismiss my own wins. I'd hesitate to share my successes.

But what I’ve learned is this: when we don’t celebrate ourselves, we diminish our own light and we lose both confidence and motivation. Celebration isn't the same as bragging—it’s about recognizing what deserves to be recognized.

That’s why I love helping others reframe what it means to celebrate themselves and their wins.

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking at Guidehouse’s hybrid event to nearly 200 employees about this very topic: Mastering the Art of Celebrating Yourself.

One participant captured the heart of it beautifully:

👇🏽

“This course was amazing. Probably one of the best I've attended in a while. It was different than what I expected going in but exactly what I needed. Amy was able to "trick me" into opening up and being vulnerable with a complete stranger. Like I told her I had no idea I'd write that and can't believe I shared it but I'm so glad I did.”

💡 Here’s your reminder: Celebrate yourself. Share your story. Advocate for what you need. You deserve it!

AND: You never know how your courage will inspire others.

So what are you celebrating today?

Xo

Amy