Amy Shwab left a six-figure tech career in Los Angeles with no plan, after having mental breakdowns every day. She started a dog walking business with a Canva logo, got 30 clients in 30 days, and now runs a 13-person pet care agency from Bali.
In this episode of Not Just His Plus One, Amy talks about burnout, quitting her corporate job with nothing lined up, and the grit it took to build a business from nothing. She shares the parts people don't usually see: selling her car, getting evicted twice in one year, six months of couch-surfing, and booking a one-way ticket to Bali. She also explains why her business has grown every month since she stepped away from running it day to day.
We also talk about choosing your hard, why embarrassment is the price of success, how to work out what you actually want when you feel stuck, and the AI software she's building to modernise the pet care industry.
If you know you're meant for more but feel stuck in a career that doesn't fit, this episode is for you.
In this episode you'll learn:
✔ How to leave the golden handcuffs, even without a plan
✔ The simple list exercise for finding work that lights you up
✔ How Amy got 30 clients in 30 days without a website or business plan
✔ Why you need your first client, not a logo
✔ How to build a business that runs without you
✔ Why stress and discomfort help you grow
✔ How to feel the fear and do it anyway
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:00 Leaving a six-figure tech career with no plan
03:45 Burnout: "I had mental breakdowns every day"
05:06 The sentence that was holding her back
06:25 The corgi that started a dog walking business
07:04 Ask for forgiveness, not permission
08:28 Tech to dog walker: the identity shift
10:57 How to get 30 clients in 30 days
13:24 How to find your passion: the list exercise
15:59 Landing a celebrity client by accident
17:16 Emergency surgery and her first hire
19:36 Building a business backwards: no LLC, no business plan
21:22 You don't need a logo, you need your first client
22:38 Embarrassment is the entry cost
24:22 Evicted twice in one year
26:56 A one-way ticket to Bali
29:39 Why her business grew after she left
32:20 Healing in Bali: breathwork and sound healing
36:41 Choose your hard
39:23 Why stress makes you stronger (neuroplasticity)
40:58 Learning to fail: wakeboarding and motorbikes
45:24 Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway
46:21 From dog walker to speaker
47:43 Building AI software for pet care businesses
52:26 Teaching herself to code with Claude Code
56:24 Goals for the rest of the year
57:13 "My biggest fear is waking up in 50 years"
01:04:32 Rapid-fire questions
01:08:54 Advice for women who feel stuck
01:10:23 The million-dollar promise
Connect with Amy Shwab:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamyschwab/Betches Walking Betches: https://www.betcheswalkingbetches.com/Connect with me & Not Just His Plus One:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiza-samarova/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samarova_/ & https://www.instagram.com/notjusthisplusone/
Not Just His Plus One is a podcast for women who know they're meant for more. Subscribe for honest conversations about career change, entrepreneurship, personal growth and building a life that fits you.
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