"Stay focused on why you do what you do and block out everything else"
Amanda Jo is the founder of Bunny’s Buddies, with her main focus being on raising funds to get the dogs safely transported from Asia and into loving new homes here in the USA. An estimated 30,000,000 dogs and cats die across Asia each year, all in the name of human consumption.
She is also the founder and CEO of The Organic Bunny, an online retailer of green cosmetics, skincare and hair care products. Amanda operates both businesses and is well-respected for her entrepreneurial and philanthropic work.
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Thank you for joining us, please introduce yourself to our readers.
Amanda Jo: I am the founder of a popular, clean beauty retail store called Organic Bunny. Besides running this business full time, my husband and I also run a non-profit dog rescue called Bunny’s Buddies which focuses on rescuing dogs from slaughterhouses, kill shelters and the streets of Asia. We get them the medical care they need and then place them into loving new homes in the United States.
Can you tell our readers in what ways you are disrupting your industry?
Amanda Jo: As women, we love our luxury beauty brands and products but the truth is, they are loaded with toxins and once I learned this information, I knew I had to share it. It’s not always easy sharing this info with others but to know that it may lead to someone living a healthier life meant that I had to try. Besides carrying the cleanest items around, I also do a lot of educational content on how to spot toxins in your favorite products and, of course, how to swap them out.
Did you become a disruptor by choice or by necessity? Tell us more about the journey.
Amanda Jo: I have always been a little controversial, ever since I was a kid. Always asking uncomfortable questions in pursuit of the truth and living my best life. I think that we get one shot at life and it flies right by. Life is far too short to be living someone else’s dream and, of course, too short to be using products that directly contribute to the demise of our health.
Now for the main focus of this interview: Many readers may wonder what are the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs must overcome to be successful?
Amanda Jo: The fear and discomfort of being disliked. When you put yourself out there, someone, somewhere will always be rooting against you, judging you or trying to tear you down. Stay focused on why you do what you do and block out everything else. It’s very easy to get caught up in the opinions of others but if you stay true to yourself, motivated by passion, you will succeed.
How did you overcome these obstacles? Who helped you during these difficult times and how did they?
Amanda Jo: Having a rock solid sense of confidence accompanied by a strong support system is really so key for anyone running any type of business. There will be many hard and long days and you have to be very confident in yourself, your direction and your vision, all while having people that truly love and support you, ready to help you however they can. My husband has been such a reliable support system to me throughout my highs and lows which I am super grateful for.
How did these lessons shaped the way you conduct business today?
Amanda Jo: Mistakes really help you grow, as hard as they are to make. At the time, things might not make a lot of sense but if you keep focused, working out the kinks and making improvements as often as you can, you will get through them and come to realize they only made you better than before. I have learned some hard lessons throughout my years but I can honestly say that I have used them to elevate and improve myself.
What advice you wished you had received when you started, that you’d like to share now with aspiring women entrepreneurs?
Amanda Jo: Many people will not be happy for you. They will make comments to cut you down or try to harm you and your business, but you have to keep going. I really feel that in business, you will be tested so many ways to see how badly you want it. There really is no quitting. You can think about quitting, just as long as you never do. Cry it out, have a bad day and then tomorrow, it’s back in the ring you go.
Out of all of your proudest moments as an entrepreneur, is there a particular one that stands out the most?
Amanda Jo: Knowing that I help thousands of women live a healthier life has truly been such an honor to do. To know that my customers trust my information enough to implement it into their lives is so special and I never take it for granted. So many women have shared with me that my content has drastically changed their life for the better, and that makes me so proud.
What do you plan on tackling during the 2022 year? Share your goals and battles you expect to face.
Amanda Jo: I am currently working on setting up an affiliate program for my brand after years of people asking so that will be super exciting to have others share the message and products too. I am always looking for new products to expand my offerings as well so we have a ton of new, innovative new brands hitting the store soon as well.
I’m sure our readers will be very thankful for the insights you have shared. What is the best book you’ve gone through lately and please share some take away lessons from it.
Amanda Jo: I really love anything by Abraham Hicks on the power of law of attraction. What we think we become. I am constantly reminding myself of her lessons and they really help me focus on my goals as much as possible.
Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, I do have one more question for you. When was the last time you did something for the first time and what was it?
Amanda Jo: My husband just booked me a harmonic sound healing session that was really out of this world! Essentially, you lay on a massage table attached to special music that works to heal you on a frequency level. You almost feel like you are flying during the session and you end up super relaxed after. A must try for anyone in a high stress career.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Amanda Jo for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Amanda Jo or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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