The Amanda Dake Podcast

He launched Uber cities at 27 and managed a massive P&L across Germany, Africa, and Russia.

Then, business owner burnout forced a full reset.

In this episode Amanda Dake talks with entrepreneur and coach Cornelius Schmahl about how it started — chasing attention through hard work, scaling teams at Rocket Internet and Uber, thriving in high-pressure markets — and how it's going — recovering from burnout, building a balanced life in Thailand, and now building AI to optimize rideshare marketplaces.

Cornelius shares why his "back against the wall" mentality kept him forcing outcomes long after he was financially secure, how a slipped disk became the wake-up call, and why nearly a decade with a coach has been his highest-ROI decision.

You'll hear his take on entrepreneur burnout recovery, work life balance, entrepreneur mindset strategies that actually stick, leadership without ego, and why human connection matters more in an AI-driven world.

If you're navigating success that doesn't feel sustainable, this is a roadmap for how to recover from burnout while still building something that matters.

Key moments in this episode: ➡️ How It Started: Chasing Attention to Uber ➡️ How It Scaled: Launching Cities and Managing Millions ➡️ The Turning Point: Burnout and the Health Wake-Up Call ⭐️ How It's Going: Thailand, Balance, and Intentional Work ⭐️ What's Next: AI for Rideshare and Coaching for Impact

Subscribe for weekly How It Started, How It's Going conversations — stories of high-performing leaders navigating growth and transition.

Connect with Cornelius: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cornelius-peter-schmahl/ Website: https://viriatos.co and https://unicorn.coach

Connect with Amanda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake Website: https://amandadake.com Find Your Blindspot: https://blindspot.amandadake.com Founder Studio Experience: https://founderstudioexperience.com

Body language expert Christopher Carter reveals the nonverbal habits that are quietly shaping how you're perceived in sales, leadership, and everyday conversation. A former theater PhD candidate turned professional mentalist and speaker, Christopher shares the eye contact trick that fixes "distracted" video calls, why crossed arms shut people down without you realizing it, and how his stage training became the foundation for helping leaders overcome imposter syndrome. Plus: the story of performing for tennis legends in Doha, Qatar, and surviving a rowdy first gig in a West Virginia dive bar. A practical, entertaining conversation for anyone who wants to connect better — on stage, on screen, or across the table.

Key Moments: 00:23 – How Amanda and Christopher met at a Chicago business conference 01:24 – From theater PhD candidate to professional mentalist 04:21 – His first paid gig: a rowdy biker bar in West Virginia 06:01 – Performing for tennis legends Nadal and Ferrer in Doha, Qatar 08:50 – The #1 hurdle in communication: self-awareness 11:00 – The trade show study on open vs. closed body language 12:07 – Why you can't read body language and make eye contact online at the same time 15:08 – The sticky-note fix for staying present on video calls 22:54 – How Amanda accidentally named his signature program "Signals for Success" 23:30 – His three flagship programs 24:54 – What's next: multi-day immersive training

Connect with Christopher Carter: Website: https://christophercarter.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophercarterspeaker/

Connect with Amanda Dake: Website: https://amandadake.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/

Allie Casazza built a multi-eight-figure business — then realized the success wasn't the point. In this episode, the behavioral neuroscience practitioner and master hypnotherapist breaks down why smart, driven people keep hitting the same wall: the subconscious "set point" running 95% of your decisions.

She shares the moment that broke her (standing in a store, unable to afford both tampons and toothpaste), how she turned a $99 course into eight figures, and why she walked away from all of it to rewire brains instead of declutter homes.

This is the episode for leaders who've done everything right and still feel like something is missing.

Key Takeaways from Allie's Journey:

1. Recognize Your Roots: Understanding where you come from can help you identify the constraints you need to overcome.
2. Pivot with Purpose: When you feel out of alignment, don't be afraid to shift your focus. Your passion may lie in a completely different area.
3. Build a Community: A membership model fosters ongoing relationships and support, which can be more beneficial than one-time transactions.
4. Leverage Your Skills: Use your unique talents and experiences to create value for others; this can lead to unexpected success.

Connect with Allie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliecasazza/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allie_thatsme Take the Quiz: The Hidden Block Secretly Running Your Business Connect with Amanda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/ Founder Studio Experience: https://founderstudioexperience.com Get Amanda's Book: https://amandadake.com/book

What happens when you can't find what you're looking for?

Lea Woodford creates it.

From broadcasting school where they told her at 19 her career had an expiration date, to founding her own media empire and a private jet company, Lea Woodford has built everything on one principle: frustration is fuel.

In this conversation, Lea breaks down her journey from local media to luxury branding, revealing how she took control of her content strategy and saw a 780% increase in LinkedIn engagement.

We dive into why most brands are "swimming in the sea of sameness," what "brand perception" actually means, and why tangibility still wins in an AI world.

What You'll Learn: 0:00 — The expiration date they gave her at 19 3:45 — Why she walked away from local media 7:20 — "You don't own your personal brand" — the hard truth about broadcasting 12:30 — Single mom, no child support, building from nothing 18:15 — How she accidentally became a speaker 22:40 — Frustration → Innovation: the Speaker Life Media origin story 28:10 — The 780% LinkedIn turnaround 32:00 — Why most brands drown in sameness 37:15 — Tangibility, luxury branding & the private jet company 42:30 — The Speaker Life Summit difference (no pitch fests) 47:00 — Leaving a legacy: "send the ladder back down"

🔗 Connect with Lea Woodford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leawoodford/ → Speaker Life Media: https://www.speakerlifemedia.com → Legacy Jets: https://legacyjetservices.com/

📚 Amanda's Resources: → Take the Blindspot Quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com → "6 Moves To Your Next 6 Figures": https://amandadake.com/book → Amanda's website: https://amandadake.com

Just because you can do it all doesn't mean you should.

If you're a high-achieving entrepreneur who's exhausted from doing everything yourself, this conversation is your wake-up call.

Strategic advisor Amanda Dake breaks down why capable leaders get trapped in misalignment, doing tasks that drain their energy and stall their growth.

We dive into: • The "just because you can" trap- and why it's killing your fulfillment • How to run a time audit that reveals what's actually eating your day • Using human design, DISC, and StrengthsFinder to identify your blind spots • Why isolation is the hidden amplifier of entrepreneur overwhelm • Practical delegation strategies that don't feel like losing control

Amanda also shares two free tools: a blind-spot quiz and a custom AI guide built to help you identify your unique alignment profile.If you've been telling yourself "I'll just handle it"- this is the conversation you didn't know you needed.

Stop doing everything. Start doing what matters.

🔗 Take Amanda's blind-spot quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com

🔗 Learn more about Amanda Dake: https://amandadake.com

Andrew Chesnutt didn't plan to build a seven-figure business. He planned to keep his job. When that was taken from him, he had to figure out what he was actually good at — and what he found changed everything.

In this episode Andrew talks about the pivot from corporate trainer to entrepreneur, why most webinars fail and what to do instead, the power of story over features, and the small inner circle that has made every hard moment survivable.

In this episode: • Why he calls bad corporate training "academic assault" • How stories light up the brain in a way features never will • Why entrepreneurs' baseline stress level is what most people feel as panic • Why webinars are not dead — AI is just making them worse • How to find the people whose honesty is the point

Connect with Andrew: https://theauthorityforge.com

Connect with Amanda: Take the free Business Blind Spot Quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com Website: https://amandadake.com

What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling.

Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritional protocols that get the brain what it actually needs to function. No medication. No traditional therapy. Just biology.

In this episode we talk about:

⭐️ Why complimenting someone who's depressed can actually make them feel worse ⭐️ The emotional guidance scale and why you can't skip levels ⭐️ How a teenager told her mom "I tried to get depressed today but I couldn't" ⭐️ Why most people are nutrient-starved — not broken ⭐️ What it looks like when the brain finally gets fed

If you've tried everything and still feel stuck, or you love someone who has, this one's worth your time.

Connect with Dr. Clifton Brady: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffton-brady/

Connect with Amanda: Take the free Business Blind Spot Quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com Website: https://amandadake.com

What do you do when your practice burns down and you can't see patients for months? If you're Dr. Clifton Brady, you accidentally invent telehealth — and discover your real calling.

Clifton went from home builder to chiropractor to brain health coach, and the detours are what made him. Today he helps people struggling with anxiety, depression, and what he calls "stinkin' thinkin'" using nutritional protocols that get the brain what it actually needs to function. No medication. No traditional therapy. Just biology.

In this episode we talk about:

⭐️ Why complimenting someone who's depressed can actually make them feel worse ⭐️ The emotional guidance scale and why you can't skip levels ⭐️ How a teenager told her mom "I tried to get depressed today but I couldn't" ⭐️ Why most people are nutrient-starved — not broken ⭐️ What it looks like when the brain finally gets fed

If you've tried everything and still feel stuck, or you love someone who has, this one's worth your time.

Connect with Dr. Clifton Brady: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffton-brady/

Connect with Amanda: Take the free Business Blind Spot Quiz: https://blindspot.amandadake.com Website: https://amandadake.com

At 83, most people slow down. John Graham just hit 120,000 followers.

But the real story isn't the numbers — it's what it took to get there.

A teenage freighter worker. A war correspondent in Algeria. A US Foreign Service officer in Libya and Vietnam. A shipwreck survivor in the North Pacific.

And one moment, freezing in a lifeboat during a typhoon, where a voice forced him to answer the only question that actually matters.John Graham has spent a lifetime chasing danger. Then he found something worth fighting for.

In this conversation, John shares the raw, unfiltered journey from adrenaline junkie to one of the most unlikely voices of purpose on the internet — and why the lessons he learned in war zones, on frozen mountain faces, and in a sinking ship are exactly what leaders need to hear right now.

What we cover: ⭐️ The freighter summer that shattered his small-town life at 17 ⭐️ Hitchhiking into a war zone in Algeria — with an American flag on his chest ⭐️ The first direct ascent of the north wall of Mount McKinley — and why he said "it's a miracle we didn't get killed" ⭐️ The Vietnam realization: a life of achievement with a plywood board nailed over your heart ⭐️ The 1980 Prinsendam shipwreck — and the voice he heard while freezing in the North Pacific ⭐️ The promise he made to survive — and how he's kept it for 40+ years ⭐️ The Giraffe Heroes Project: finding people willing to stick their necks out for good ⭐️ Why he launched Badass Granddad at 82 — and how it hit 2.5 million views ⭐️ What young people in their 20s are really asking an 83-year-old adventurer

🦒 John Graham & the Giraffe Heroes Project: https://www.giraffe.org ➡️ Badass Granddadd (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube): Search @BadassGranddadd 📖 Denali Diary (free download): https://www.johngraham.org/books/denali-diary

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about how it started and how it's going!

What does it actually take to become an AI coach — with zero AI background?

Rob Cressy walked away from corporate America 16 years ago to chase a sports broadcasting dream. Three career pivots later, a pandemic wiped out his entire industry overnight. Then in December 2022, a single text message introduced him to ChatGPT — and everything changed.

In this episode, Rob breaks down his Human AI Sandwich framework, a simple approach to using AI for business without losing your voice, your judgment, or your edge.

If you're an entrepreneur or leader trying to figure out how to use AI without becoming a robot, this conversation is for you.

We cover: ➡️ how to use AI as a creative collaborator (not a replacement) ➡️ why most AI content fails ➡️ the two audit questions that expose exactly where your AI habits are breaking down ➡️ and why the people winning with AI aren't the tech experts — they're the ones leading from a human-first perspective.

Whether you're just starting with AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude, or you've been using them for years and still feel behind, Rob's framework gives you a practical way to lead with intention in the AI era.

In this episode: • The Human AI Sandwich — how to start and end every AI workflow as the human in charge • Why 53% of LinkedIn content is now AI-generated — and why that's your opportunity • The two audit questions: How many hours are you using AI vs. actually learning it? • Three levels of being left behind with AI — and which one high performers live in • Why AI adoption is a leadership conversation, not a technology conversation

⏱ Timestamps 00:00 — How do you become an AI coach with no experience? 00:50 — Leaving corporate America: the leap from ad sales to entrepreneurship 02:15 — The ChatGPT moment that changed his business overnight 03:50 — Running a sports marketing agency for a decade — what entrepreneurship teaches you 06:50 — How COVID wiped out the sports industry and forced a pivot to AI coaching 08:00 — The Human AI Sandwich framework: how to use AI without losing your voice 11:00 — Why soul is the one competitive advantage AI will never have 14:00 — Why so much AI-generated content fails — and what to do instead 19:50 — Who Rob works with: entrepreneurs and leaders using AI for business growth 25:00 — Two AI audit questions every entrepreneur needs to answer right now 25:50 — Three levels of being left behind with AI — which one are you? 29:50 — AI for leaders: why this is a leadership conversation, not a tech conversation 31:50 — What's next: keynotes, impact, and the future of AI coaching 37:00 — Why human connection is your biggest edge in the AI era 45:00 — How to connect with Rob and get his free AI acceleration guide

🔗 Resources

Rob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_cressy/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cressy/ Rob's free AI acceleration guide: https://www.robcressy.com

Take The Business Blind Spot quiz → https://blindspot.amandadake.com