# Amanda Goetz

> Amanda Goetz is a 2x founder, 4x CMO, USA TODAY bestselling author, and podcast host who built and sold a luxury CBD brand (House of Wise) from her garage during a pandemic-era divorce, then pivoted to a $500K+ solo portfolio career on her own terms. She reaches 150,000+ readers weekly with her anti-hustle newsletter Life's a Game, hosts the Girlboss Ambition 2.0 podcast, and authored 'Toxic Grit' — a takedown of hustle culture that became an instant bestseller in October 2025. A single mom of three based in Miami, she turned her hardest seasons into her most compelling IP.

- **Role:** Founder at HLG Projects / Life's a Game; Host of Ambition 2.0 at Girlboss Media
- **Organizations:** HLG Projects, Life's a Game (newsletter), Girlboss Media (Ambition 2.0 podcast), House of Wise (founded, acquired 2022), The Knot Worldwide (former VP Marketing), Availendar (co-founded, acquired ~2015)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. Business Administration, Marketing (Statistics concentration), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- **Known for:** Founded House of Wise and raised $2M seed round from notable investors including Baron Davis and Kat Cole, Grew House of Wise to seven-figure revenue with zero paid advertising using community affiliate model, Built Life's a Game newsletter to 150,000+ weekly subscribers with 55% open rate

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Illinois; worked four jobs simultaneously during college
- **2007-2012** — Marketing at Ernst & Young, leading the Entrepreneur of the Year program; relocated from Chicago to NYC
- **2012-2015** — Worked with celebrity wedding planner David Tutera, overseeing 150+ high-end weddings worldwide
- **~2013-2015** — Co-founded Availendar, a wedding-tech startup connecting brides with available vendors; acquired ~2015
- **2015** — Joined The Knot Worldwide (XO Group) as VP/Head of Marketing
- **2015-2020** — Led brand and product marketing for The Knot and WeddingWire; grew teams from 3 to 50 people
- **2020** — Founded House of Wise from her garage during COVID-19 pandemic, simultaneously going through divorce as a single mom of three
- **2021** — Went full-time on House of Wise in April; raised $2M seed round led by Sugar Capital
- **2022** — Sold/acquired House of Wise; later discovered post-acquisition personal liability for company debt
- **2023** — Quit remaining corporate role in summer 2023; founded HLG Projects; diagnosed with celiac disease in October
- **2023-2024** — Built Life's a Game newsletter to 150K+ subscribers; grew fractional CMO practice to $500K+ annual revenue
- **2025** — Published 'Toxic Grit' (Oct 21, 2025) - instant USA TODAY bestseller; debuted as host of Girlboss Ambition 2.0 podcast (Oct 29, 2025)
- **2026** — Continues solopreneur portfolio career from Miami: newsletter, podcast, Office Hours community, keynote speaking, fractional CMO consulting

## Achievements

- Founded House of Wise and raised $2M seed round from notable investors including Baron Davis and Kat Cole
- Grew House of Wise to seven-figure revenue with zero paid advertising using community affiliate model
- Built Life's a Game newsletter to 150,000+ weekly subscribers with 55% open rate
- Published 'Toxic Grit' — instant USA TODAY bestseller (October 2025)
- Selected as host of Girlboss Ambition 2.0 podcast relaunch (October 2025)
- Built $500K+ annual revenue solo business — double her highest CMO salary
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Illinois while working four jobs
- ACE-certified personal trainer
- 4x Chief Marketing Officer across multiple companies
- Co-founded Availendar (acquired) and House of Wise (acquired)

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Published debut book 'Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and (Actually) Love What You Have' — instant USA TODAY bestseller
- **2025-10** — Debuted as host of Girlboss Media's relaunched Ambition 2.0 podcast; new episodes every Tuesday
- **2026-04** — Based in Miami with partner and three children; running Life's a Game newsletter (150K+ subscribers), Office Hours community, fractional CMO practice, and keynote speaking

## Links

- Website: https://www.amandagoetz.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagoetz
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/AmandaMGoetz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/amanda-goetz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-28