"Being an entrepreneur is a wild, crazy and beautiful ride. You get to pick who you want to work with and what projects you want to take on so the freedom is priceless."
For the last two decades, social entrepreneur Amy Malin has worked at the intersection of Hollywood and philanthropy with her cause agency Trueheart. Amy’s expertise is connecting celebrities and purpose-driven brands with deserving non-profits to raise millions of dollars for their causes while creating global media campaigns that shine a spotlight on their noble mission. Amy and her husband Scott are the Co-Founders of the Trueheart social impact search engine where you can change the world with every search at Trueheart. Amy’s experience as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking led her to lead a purpose-driven life and inspire others to join her in doing a little bit of good every day.
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Thank you so much for giving us your time! Before we begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and take us through what exactly your company does and what your vision is for its future?
Amy Malin: My husband/ business partner Scott and I are the proud owners of two social impact companies. Our Trueheart cause agency brings celebrities and purpose-driven brands together to champion great causes, We produce global social impact campaigns that shine a spotlight on the mission of the non-profits and drive billions of earned media impressions. This Summer, we launched our Trueheart social impact search engine where you can change the world with every search. When you search at Trueheart.com, we donate 80% of our net profits to six best-in-class charities that work to help people, animals, and the planet.
We’re proud to support Global Green, Action Against Hunger, Smile Train, PFLAG National, Variety Boys & Girls Club, and 4 Paws For Ability. Searching with Trueheart is a free and easy way to make an impact every day.
NO child ever says I want to be a CEO/entrepreneur when I grow up. What did you want to be and how did you get where you are today?
Amy Malin: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a television or radio host. I was always interviewing family and friends and carrying around my microphone and tape recorder. In middle school and high school, I was a DJ at a local college radio station spinning Top-40 music and reading the news. Then, I got the incredible opportunity to host and produce a talk show on the top sports and talk radio station in South Florida. It’s no accident, that I’ve been a storyteller throughout my career and have produced and directed public service announcements (PSAs) and creative digital content campaigns starring celebrities to help raise funds and awareness for great causes.
Scott and I recently launched our Trueheart podcast where we chat with celebrities, mavericks, thought leaders, authors, visionary philanthropists, and unsung heroes to find out what sets their souls on fire and about the impact they’re making in the world.
I started my business over two decades ago, by moving to New York City with a few hundred bucks to my name, a couple of suitcases, and big dreams. I cold-called the people and companies I wanted to work with in order to start my company. I woke up every day ready to hustle and grind for a better life. I’m proud of the fulfilling career I’ve created through hard work, talent, tenacity, and passion.
Tell us something about yourself that others in your organization might be surprised to know.
Amy Malin: I love to dance and I’ve always dreamed of dancing in a music video. Years ago, I had the pleasure of working with award-winning choreographer Hi Hat on her MTV VMA press campaign for her work with Missy Elliott. After the VMAs, we went to a party with Missy and her dancers and we all danced until the sun came up. It was so much fun and rocking the dance floor with some of the most talented dancers in the world was absolutely incredible.
Many readers may wonder how to become an entrepreneur but what is an entrepreneur? How would you define it?
Amy Malin: An entrepreneur is someone who starts her own business and takes big risks in pursuit of her dreams. Being an entrepreneur is a wild, crazy and beautiful ride. You get to pick who you want to work with and what projects you want to take on so the freedom is priceless. There is no security net and your hard work directly impacts the success you create, so the sky is the limit on what you can achieve
What is the importance of having a supportive and inclusive culture?
Amy Malin: As a business owner, it is important to foster a culture where everyone feels respected, accepted and appreciated. This will boost morale and make the team more productive and successful together.
How can a leader be disruptive in the post covid world?
Amy Malin: Leaders are always innovating! In a post COVID world, we’re going to see more entrepreneurs harnessing the power of tech for good to create sustainable solutions to some of our world’s most pressing issues.
If a 5-year-old asked you to describe your job, what would you tell them?
Amy Malin: I inspire people to do a little bit of good every day!
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Amy Malin: During COVID, all of our non-profit clients had to cancel their in-person fundraising events, which was incredibly hard because these events drive a majority of their annual donations. So, we got creative and asked some of our celebrity friends to host digital fundraisers which enabled our favorite non-profits on the frontlines to deliver critical aid where it was needed most.
We partnered with our colleagues at the digital fundraising platforms Ascend Fundraising Solutions, Omaze and Prizeo on these campaigns to offer incredible prizes all for a great cause. These campaigns funded meal programs, COVID testing, medical care, a STEM camp, and a film production program for people in underserved communities.
Leaders are usually asked about their most useful qualities but let’s change things up a bit. What is your most useless talent?
Amy Malin: I’m the catchphrase Queen! I have so many original slogans that I’ve convinced Scott to use in everyday conversation. That might be one of my greatest feats! Haha. The cool thing is, it’s like our own secret language.
Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, we do have one more question. If you wrote a book about your life until today, what would the title be?
Amy Malin: I’m in the process of finishing my book which is entitled “Trueheart: A Love Manifesto From An Unbreakable Spirit.” My book is part memoir, part self-help guide, and 100% inspiration for everyone to understand that your past doesn’t get to define your present or destroy your future.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Amy Malin 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 Amy Malin or her company, you can do it through her – Facebook
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