Your Business Success Starts With Your Childhood Wounds with Amber Vilhauer

Dustin: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the 7-Figure Leap podcast. This episode is like super special. And so I'm going to do something special for it. So you're about to meet Amber Vilhauer. She is an absolute like fire hose of energy, enthusiasm, wisdom. she's amazing. And as you listen to this episode, you're going to feel this energy.
Dustin: And I think you're going to be like, I really need to go deeper. On maybe all three of the topics we cover, but I want you to pick one. So we're doing something special with this episode in honor of all the amazing wisdom that, Amber has shared. So as you get into this, you'll hear her talk about three main topics.
Dustin: One is alignment. Two is strategic partnerships, and three is. a bestselling book launch and none of these quite, are what they appear at the surface. So I want you to actually listen to this episode and I want you to send me a personal email So dustin d u s t i n at seven figure leap.
Dustin: com to shoot me a dm on linkedin that works, too, and I want to [00:01:00] take a poll So listen to the entire episode, then send me a message, destined at seven figure leap. com and say one, two, or three. I want to know more about alignment from Amber. I want to know more about strategic partnerships, or I want to know more about the best selling book launch.
Dustin: So she had already agreed like, Hey, whichever one people want more of, we'll come back and we'll do a full episode deep dive on that. And, Selfishly, I really want to make this happen. So I really want your feedback. So definitely shoot me a message again, shoot me an email or you can DM me on LinkedIn if that's more convenient for you and just simply say, I want to know more about this from Amber and she has already agreed she'll be back and we'll do a deep dive on that topic.
Dustin: you may notice as part of the interview, this is an excerpt from an amazing session that Amber did as part of our pod profits on it. So if for some reason you're not signed up yet, you've like. What's wrong with you? Go get signed up. Uh, you can simply go to pod profits, summit. com and grab your free seat and come to our amazing event with almost 40 speakers, really high [00:02:00] caliber, you know, the Ambers of the world who are here to serve and, just give you tons of wisdom.
Dustin: So pod profits, summit. com get registered and don't forget as you're listening, when you hear the three things that Amber teaches on, shoot me a message and let me know which one we need to deep dive on more and we'll get her back and take care of that.
Dustin: Welcome back to the pod profit summit. I am here with what I would call like a fast friend and really like a deep friend. So Amber Wilhauer and I met last year. Hey, Amber. And I don't know. We like every time we talk, we just, there's never a spare moment because there's so many things we're in alignment with.
Dustin: And we, we love a lot of the same ways to grow businesses and, we run a lot of the same circles. And so when I had her on the summit, it's kind of funny before [00:03:00] we recorded this session, we spent, half the allotted time. Which thing do we want to talk about? Cause there's so many amazing things that Amber could talk about.
Dustin: She could run a whole summit on her own for these topics in this audience. but to give a little bit of background, Amber Wilhauer is a books and business strategist, multi bestselling author, speaker, founder of NGNG Enterprises, which is no guts, no glory, which I love that name.
Dustin: and E5000 top marketing agency. And she's written infinite impact. And she co authored the long forest trail with her awesome son, Clay. there's much more to her bio, but, I think this gives you a sense. Books and strategic
partnerships and alignment. we're going to touch on as much of that as we can during our session today.
Dustin: And of course we'll, we'll tie it back to the podcasting and the strategies that we're focused on here in the summit too. So three bottom line strategies to scale, Amber, I'm gonna let you take a deep breath and like, take it away. Cause I know you have so much. to share so much energy to do it with.
Dustin: I'm really excited to be here as part of the audience.
Amber: Yes. have been known to be a bit of a fire hose, but I will [00:04:00] try to contain that as much as I can, but I'm really, truly grateful to be here. I know a lot of people say that as an opening line, but I really mean it at the deepest level because. I had no clue back in 2007 that I would have grown this company and had this kind of influence and get to this type of moment to share these really important topics with you.
Amber: And also to be at a place in my life where I can meet incredible people like you, Dustin, I mean, and I mean that genuinely, you know, my story begins back when I was younger, I think it's really important to share this because sometimes you see somebody and you make assumptions about them and people think that I've just had this like easy life and I'm so happy and like I can speak on stages in front of thousands of people and so they make these assumptions but like I have to tell you that my story really begins when I was six years old and I am sitting in a room by myself [00:05:00] playing with my little pony and I am alone, feeling alone, and I could feel this hatred seething through the wall of my sister's room next to me.
Amber: My mom was a single mom off working, and this Kind of was my experience growing up and I think my older sister just resented having to take care of me when she was just a kid herself. So that's fine. That's healed. But I mean, that's an interesting start to life where I developed these feelings of absolute.
Amber: Worthlessness, and it manifested when I went to school and I didn't make friends because nobody taught me how to make friends. So I was the weirdo on the playground that nobody was talking to. And then that developed and grew into high school when I started getting bullied and I was the girl that would eat lunch.
Amber: And the bathroom stalls to avoid conflict. If I walked outside [00:06:00] during the lunch period.
Dustin: Wow.
Amber: And people look at me and they're like, you can't be right. Yeah. You're kind of
Dustin: like, I mean, beautiful and effervescent and like so approachable and warm. So yeah, hard to even imagine a period where you felt that way.
Dustin: So I appreciate you sharing that opening entree here.
Amber: Yeah. And I mean, there was even this moment when I was 16 years old, I talk about it in the book, infinite impact. It's a really good juicy story. So you get the book, if nothing else to hear. but it's a time when I got jumped at a party that I didn't even know that was set up for me.
Amber: And I was jumped by five girls that night. And as I was badly beaten, I later that night, I was looking up at the stars crying my eyes out and I'll never forget that moment because I just thought, is this it? is this my life? Is this the way it's going to be? Because I, I felt like I had so much to give, but I felt invisible.
Amber: I didn't know how to show up in the world [00:07:00] any differently, but I felt so misunderstood. And what it taught me was to stay invisible because that was safer. And what you don't do is step out into the spotlight. So now, okay. In my twenties, I find Cutco cutlery. Yes. Okay. I'm selling kitchen knives and I opened up, I mean, my entrepreneurial spirit came alive, I was seen and valued for the first time.
Amber: It was really exciting. And in 2007. I took a leap and I went into the online world and I found it very challenging. I teach myself code and I'm writing about marketing and blogging and all sorts of things. And people start attracting in asking if I can build their website, can I help them on social media?
Amber: Can I do these things? And my company was born great, but I think it's important that I share that before I share all of these other goodies, because there are a lot of people in our world that. Are resistant to visibility and it's because they have this deep [00:08:00] seated outdated belief that when I am seen and heard bad things happen, there's a lot of us and especially the good people.
Dustin: I'm 1 of them. Yeah, I appreciate you sharing that. Yeah.
Amber: Yeah. The good, good, good people that have such a heart of service. They are. Feeling like it's safer to be invisible. And when we look out in the world, we're all like, Oh my gosh, this place needs a lot of help. I hope that you do the helping because I don't know how I'm not equipped.
Amber: And yet people like us, we have this whisper that's getting louder and louder saying, Hey man, like your significance wants to come out and play, go into the. Spotlight. But there's this conflict that's like, Oh my gosh, but can I do
this? And it's not even a conscious conflict. There's something else that's this tug of war and you find yourself starting a project just to stop it, starting a new project just to stop it.
Amber: And then there's this tension and it bleeds into our relationship and our [00:09:00] parenting and everything else. Right? It's a mess. Yep. So enter the
three bottom line strategies to scale. Okay. This is really important because I'm the type of person that I hate wasting time. I love efficiency. I love speed.
Amber: I love a good challenge. And I want to know my greatness. if there's one thing on my final day, looking back that I want to feel and experience, it's this feeling of. I moved through all of those fears and there were millions of them every day. I faced my fears and I did it. I conquered those limiting beliefs.
Amber: I stepped through and I got to know my greatness. Now, in the road of knowing your greatness, it's not because you're self obsessed or selfish or anything like that in the road. To owning and knowing your greatness, you've had a tremendous impact. I mean, you've shaped industries, like you've made tons [00:10:00] of money.
Amber: You've developed good kids. You've had love in your life. Like all of it is there for you, but it really does kind of come back into starting with you because whatever you're thinking and feeling on the inside does show up in your relationships. It shows up in your business big time, dude, on the road to scale.
Amber: Just wait till you hit about a million bucks and then watch what happens next, because whatever you have been awaiting on the inside, poof, it just. Side rails you at about a million dollars and it shows up and how you handle the pressure of scale now. I'm not here to scare you into not scaling. That's not what this is about and scaling could look different to each person that's listening.
Amber: You may not want to scale profit. You may want to scale team. You may want to scale clients or maybe like me. You don't want to scale team. But you want to scale your impact and you're really [00:11:00] curious about that pathway. So I really tried to narrow it down to three bottom line strategies, because you're going to hear all sorts of stuff on this summit and it's all valuable and good.
Amber: But walking out of here, what are the three things that I want you to embody and really know and do moving forward? The first one is to get and stay in alignment. I'll unpack that in a minute. The second one is I want you to have a bestselling book launch because there is no faster way to scale than through a book launch.
Amber: In my opinion. I proved it. I made a thousand authors number one bestsellers. The third is through strategic partnerships, which I'm going to
reframe for you, and, and I'm going to call them aligned partnerships. Those are the three things that I want to unpack here, and I'll give you as much specificity as I can, because probably like you, I don't like to just get some big picture idea and then think, well, that was [00:12:00] nice.
Amber: But now what do I do? So I'm going to try to. Offer you more than just the big idea.
Dustin: I love that. And just to amend the title, because what you said is like so perfect. And I think with our audience and the types of people with our speakers, like you and the type of people who are attracting to the summit, three bottom line strategies to scale, I think we can totally say your impact.
Dustin: I think we can focus on scaling your impact versus team and profit and all. I mean, all those things come when you do it right. But I think. Our people are mission driven and they do want to have a bigger impact with their businesses and with their voice and with their authority.
Dustin: So, that we can use that lens to zoom in a little bit that will be right in alignment.
Amber: Well, you are my people, so it's great to be here with you. I genuinely meant that. Okay, so let's start with the first one, which is to get in, stay in alignment. What the heck does that mean?
Amber: Living in alignment means that you are living in line with your deepest values. Beliefs and needs. Some of us don't know what our core values are. [00:13:00] Some of us don't even know some of our deepest beliefs and very few to know people know what they actually need. We all carry around unmet needs. That do come from childhood.
Amber: So I'm not here to play therapist, but I had a need for belonging because I felt so misunderstood. And I felt like I didn't belong anywhere that created a belief that I am not worthy. I am not lovable. I don't belong. That carried with me all of these years through my relationships where I gave away my power to other people because I didn't trust and love myself.
Amber: I didn't really know what to do. So I'll just people, please, and self sacrifice and overextend in hopes that I get belonging to fill this need that I had all of those years ago, only through the work of getting into alignment, did I get to uncover some of these deeper values? [00:14:00] beliefs and unmet needs. And the beautiful thing is once you see your alignment, You can't unsee it.
Amber: It is so freeing to know your own alignment. And in my book, Infinite Impact, and this is not a plug, there are four exercises that I call the foundational four framework that you can go do yourself. In fact, I'm even going to give away the entire copy of the book for free. Just so you do
Dustin: it, I love that
Amber: I just want you to do the work.
Amber: Okay, I don't need to make 2 off of it. Like that's plenty of satisfaction for me. so that will enable you to actually do the work. Know your alignment. There are options outside of that. Some people don't want to spend the time getting themselves into alignment. There are alignment guides that I've certified that can do it for you in 90 minutes.
Amber: I have group programs around it, blah, blah. It's all wonderful. But the key is just do the work [00:15:00] because it's going to reveal all of your blind spots instantly so that remember when I was talking about the big boom that happens when you hit a million, you could bypass that. The people that get hit hard when they're scaling, they get hit hard because they have blind spots that they've been avoiding, that they've covered up and pretended aren't there.
Amber: And they reveal themselves in a painful way through relationships with team and customers and in the marketing world. But you can bypass all of that because you'll be so clear on your alignment. And then the key becomes to stay in your alignment and those four exercises in the book, it's part two called the work.
Amber: So you'll be able to go through that. It will teach you how to see your alignment and stay in alignment and it can happen very quickly. You will notice. That you are out of alignment when you all of a sudden don't feel clear. You know what I mean? Where it's like, I don't know what my next step is. I don't, I don't know.
Amber: [00:16:00] That's because you're out of alignment. When you're in your alignment, you're so clear, you know, exactly what your next step is and you have absolute confidence to execute it. Right? So that alignment piece is an incredible strategy. It's crucial to your success moving forward. And what it does is it allows you to move into the world.
Amber: With. Wholeness, not lacking, hiding, nervous, trying to be the warrior and push through and force it to happen because as you age, that's not going to be as possibilities for you.
Dustin: You just hurt stuff. Yeah,
Amber: it will be exhausting. So this alignment piece is really important because when you show up in the world.
Amber: As a whole healthy person, people just see it. It's undeniable. And they are so attracted to it because they themselves are not whole, they have unmet needs, they have not understood their deeper values and beliefs. And so they're trying to fill [00:17:00] the void. And we fill the void by saying, I need more money. I need more relationships.
Amber: I need that new car. And that's why when you get that stuff, it's not fulfilling. It will never fill the hole because there's a different process for filling that hole. And when you come into the world with wholeness and you are aligned, it's undeniable. You start attracting in people at a rate that will make your head spin.
Amber: You'll have a totally different problem of too many people want to work with me. Ask me how I know I've had that challenge for almost two decades. Too many people want to talk with me. Too many people want to work with me. And it's because they see something in me that they want themselves. And I don't have to grow a big ego about it.
Amber: I can appreciate it and I can develop curriculum to support them on their path to wholeness so that they can go manifest, build the life and business of their dreams. So that's that's strategy. Number 1. Can
Dustin: I interject like a 1 minute reflection? I guess, like, what came up for me as you were sharing that and I'll [00:18:00] say, like, having done the alignment exercise.
Dustin: So maybe this is off base, but kind of thinking I'm a reflection of our audience. so maybe you're listening and you're like. I wonder if this is what she means. I want to like try something on for size and you can tell me that's kind of what I mean. So as you were talking, you kind of started with the unmet needs.
Dustin: And so without getting to my whole childhood backstory, I grew up, uh, yeah, very abusive environment, very isolated, lived out in the middle of the
country. You couldn't participate in team sports, like just kind of an isolated environment. And so I had this belief that I was a loner. And I was like, I was just a loner.
Dustin: And then so I just go away, I go climb a tree and like, that's how I figure stuff out. And then as I got into business and I started to scale, I started to realize and started to get all this reflection back from people that like, you're a really good curator. You're a really good community builder. I love when you're in a group environment, there's so much energy and I'm just like, me?
Dustin: Like, I'm a loner. so when I finally leaned into that and I found that I was had like a ton of alignment with community. that became my, kind of my special sauce is like building community. [00:19:00] And so then the time, as you're talking about, when you get out of alignment, I'm like the times where I
feel lost or frustrated or insecure.
Dustin: it's cause I'm in my own head and I'm trying to go in the closet and solve problems. Like, Oh, I just need to like, go be vulnerable, plug back into a community. And that's where I get like the insight and energy. I feel like that's where God's grace flows into me is really well in a community. So is that an example of like alignment?
Dustin: Built on values, beliefs, and unmet needs.
Amber: I love that I are so similar because I'm like a total introvert, but people think I'm an extrovert and I'm not, I am a total loner at heart. So what happens is we started in the world as loners and that became comfortable. Even though it didn't, it felt often in other ways, we longed for belonging, but there was a comfort that we had a security that we had with that.
Amber: Because that's all we knew. We then develop. Into a person that [00:20:00] is like a persona, almost they can help us achieve our unmet needs. So then you become this identity who can absolutely be on stages. And what you're doing is it's a part of you that's coming forward to build. Belonging build community, the very thing that the little kid always wanted.
Amber: So now you go do the thing and you're like, God, this feels good. Well, of course it does because you didn't have that growing up. So now you find yourself in belonging, but. That other side of you still exists, too. So what happens is you will have times where you want to retreat into that because that's what originally felt safe in the world to you, So then we have this duality and some people without knowing your alignment, here's how this shows up. You
show up in your building community and then you self sabotage it. You rip it down and destroy it to go back to safety. I'm saying you don't have [00:21:00] to do that. You can have, be, and do it all. You can build belonging for other people that meets your needs and theirs at the exact same time.
Amber: And it can be remarkably fulfilling. You can have every sense of the word of freedom in that belonging, and then honor the sides of you too, that do need to retreat. So when I need to retreat. I'll retreat. I have a cabin in the forest and I go up there and I am completely secluded and I am in my happy place, but I have that side of me and I have the booming business.
Amber: I have the friends. I have it all now because I'm a whole person. I don't have to self sabotage or rip anything down. And the beautiful thing at this stage is you can give it all away. So I started attracting and all of these people who secretly crave belonging because they never had it. They feel safe in this environment.
Amber: And now my actual work in the world is to help them become aligned and whole so that they can [00:22:00] have that harmony and congruence in their life too. It's like. So cool. This is my job.
Dustin: This is amazing. Yeah, it's amazing. So we'll keep going. Obviously, you know, 10 minutes doesn't do this justice, but I hope everyone's getting some fireworks in their head of insight and like, and the need to find better alignment.
Dustin: And you've generously given them a tool to start that process. so that's great. the three steps to scale. You're thinking like, I don't know, paid ads, like you're thinking like these normal marketing things. It's like, no, like alignment. Like it starts with you. that is so powerful.
Dustin: and then, yeah, so I'll let you continue for me
Amber: because if you skip this step, because you're like, I don't know about this check, she's woo woo or whatever, if you skip this step, cool. Go for it. Watch what happens. Like I dare you. You will have. Conflict in the future with the ads funnels won't work.
Amber: You'll lose money. You've lost your savings. You're upset with your spouse. They're upset with you. You work too much. You're trying too hard. You're exhausted. you're overwhelmed. You have secret anxiety and depression. That's [00:23:00] the path ahead for you. So go ahead and travel it until you've gotten your fill of it.
Amber: And then maybe give it a try and see the difference. I have to learn everything the hard way. So really no disrespect whatsoever. You take the time that you want to take for it. But that is where all strategy should be born from. In fact, I'm at this place in my career now, Dustin, where I will not have a business strategy session with anybody until they're in alignment, because it's a waste of both of our time.
Amber: I could get you probably pretty close. I'll get you 70, 80 percent of the way there, but that makes my heart upset that I only got you that far. I want to get you 110 percent of the way there. I want to build a business strategy for you that is so. Exacting. It is so on point and you are so fulfilled and joyful in scaling because that's what we all deserve that.
Amber: That is what is possible for us. And it starts there, you'll get to a certain point where you're going to start getting that voice out, [00:24:00] Because you feel aligned. You are more whole and you want to self express. You want to share that wisdom with other people. Podcasting is the perfect next step.
Amber: Period. End of story. Go do as many podcasts as you possibly can. It is the best way to get your reps and to hone your story, to embody what your message is and to cultivate audience and even better network relationships with the podcast hosts, getting more referrals and actually growing this thing organically.
Amber: a lot of people are tempted to start with paid ads. I think it's a huge mistake. It's a giant waste of money and it is the hardest way to start. Start by connecting with people, sharing your vision. This is where we're going. This is what I see. My vision is to help individuals in front of me feel heard, seen, and valued.
Amber: That's my vision. I teach vision differently than other people do. My why is so that we can feel free. That is my why, [00:25:00] and when I move through the world with my story and that vision and why anything becomes possible, people start activating naturally, they're like, oh, shit, I like that, that's right for me, and when it feels right for you, now we are primed, we are aligned together, and that's when we can really open up to talking about strategic partnerships and collaborations, and that really is the second Bottom line strategy, I really want you to move away from this interview, really adopting thinking about doing.
Amber: And it's very simple. Once you know your alignment, it helps you understand like your values and what you really believe. And it helps you to
very specifically identify the ideal audience that you have. Those are some critical components to having a successful partnership. Now I think to myself, who do I know that is similar, that might have a similar audience?
Amber: Oh, my friend, Dustin. Cool. Hey Dustin, friend, [00:26:00] like what are you up to in the world? So much has changed for me in the last year, but a lot's changed for you. Do you want to just get up on a catch up call and like share your vision goals for this year and I'll do the same and we'll see what happens. Sure.
Amber: Amber, let's do it. I share my vision. I share my why I share my heart. I'm open. I'm whole. You do the same. We'll naturally see overlap. And by the way, that happened real time just before the recording of that. This sounds familiar. This just, I'm like, dude, you got to come to my event. We should do these things.
Amber: And you're like, yes. And it just, it naturally occurs. These are aligned partnerships. I've had these for two decades. I've had so many brands and communities regularly send a flow of clients to me. I haven't had to wonder ever where my next client is coming from. Now, just imagine that. And there's no stress and pressure in marketing.
Amber: I can put out a reel and I'm not sitting there counting the number [00:27:00] of hearts and like, Oh my gosh, should I boost this post or should I run paid ads to it? And somebody didn't do the trip wiring my funnel. I'm like, Oh, I don't have to worry about any of that because I just have this regular flow coming to me from people that believe in me.
Amber: And I have a non negotiable to follow through, do what I say I'm going to do and to be an excellent, representation and extension of their brand so that they feel like, gosh, every time I send somebody to Amber. They come back saying, thank you. That was the best recommendation ever. So like, all I have to do is that and disco, it's like everything around me is just so abundant.
Amber: And so strategic partnerships is a really important strategy. And again, it's simple, get aligned who else around me is similar. Get on a catch up call, share your vision, share your goals, let them do the same. See where the overlap is. And then you need to lead them into a next step. Don't wait for them to magically come up with [00:28:00] all of the ideas.
Amber: Trust your own instincts and say, Hey, you know what? We should do an event together. We should do a co hosted webinar. We should go live on Instagram. We should do. I don't, a retreat in Hawaii, whatever it is, I thought
Dustin: that was a real invite. Okay. Let's
Amber: do it. Okay. Audience, if you agree that we should do something, let us know, let him know.
Amber: but that's the second bottom line strategy, which really dovetails perfectly into the last one, which is around bestseller book launches. As I mentioned up front, the fastest way to scale. Is with a book now, I switched that on you and I, I went and did this 1 last because. In a book launch, it accomplishes everything all at once.
Amber: You go and you get interviewed on podcasts because everybody wants to talk to a new published author. Okay. So now you're on a podcast tour. You're talking with influencers, [00:29:00] right? Because the host. Is well connected. They have a community. They have a network. So get to know them, find alignment with them, pull them into a sidebar, have a strategic partnership conversation with them and boom.
Amber: Now you're not only getting. Leverage and exposure into their community, but you've just made a new friend. You've made a new aligned partner, and that's going to open up speaking opportunities, sales opportunities, lifetime, travel, friendship opportunities. The sky is the limit with it. So there are all sorts of things that I can talk about in terms of like how to quickly develop the book.
Amber: So it's a great book, but you do it with speed because if you develop a great book. It will continue selling if you develop a crappy book, it's going to die after launch. So don't waste your time and money developing a bad book. You got to do it right. But there's a way to get a manuscript done in three months and monetize while you're doing it.
Amber: So this is [00:30:00] something that I also teach. It's called aligned authorship. , so notice you have to get into alignment and then you can have contents. You can have a cohort. Where you are training your content while you're developing it for the book, take the transcriptions and the beta reader,
really client feedback, package that up, transcribe it, edit it, and now you have a draft in three months and you've probably made a quick, you know, 10 to 50
grand depending on how many people are in the cohort and how much you charged for it.
Amber: But now you have this manuscript, you hit the publishing world. There are several different publishing paths. You make sure that your platform's in a good place, like your website is aligned, man. It lights you up, right? Your marketing is aligned. You're fully self expressed. You're saying what you really want to say, not trying to package yourself up into what everybody else is doing.
Amber: And then you do your podcasting, you get your strategic partnerships, you launch and [00:31:00] scale fast. I mean, it can happen as quickly as you want it to happen. And that might sound like a lot, but not really, because when you're aligned. These things happen naturally. It just naturally comes out of you and you have this abundance of energy.
Amber: You have this mental clarity and you just zip through your tasks and experience all of the connection, along the way. It's a really beautiful journey and I hope you all take it.
Dustin: anyone watching this by watching me just like smirk. my own facial expressions. And what Amber said didn't need any validation, but I feel like I want to throw it in just a little bit, cause some of the stuff she doesn't even know.
Dustin: So talking about like alignment and how we end up in this spot on this call, where she's talking about these things that resonate so much with me, which I know resonates with everyone listening. So she talked about strategic partnerships or aligned partnerships. Um, she didn't name any communities, but I can throw one in because I think it's just kind of funny when you think about it.
Dustin: So the way I found Amber is through this community I'm in called Front Row Dads, right? All dudes, like all dads, Amber's not a [00:32:00] member because you know, she's not,
Amber: I can't be even though I have created back in the day. Like I was never allowed. It was such a bummer
Dustin: But the funny thing is it's not that big of a community, right?
Dustin: There's like guys I was just in austin at a live event in december there and I won't get into all that, but the point is I kept hearing Amber, Amber Vilhauer, Amber Vilhauer. I'm like, I've heard this name like a few times within this community and they're, you know, mostly entrepreneur types and really, really good people and, high vibe, sort of high resonance, ambitious people.
Dustin: And so this guy, Isaac was really, into what Amber's doing. He invited me to, I don't know, a workshop or something. So I joined their community, honestly, just to be kind of be in proximity to Amber. I'm like. I like her and it's kind of what she said. There's sort of this like alignment. It was just like, I like her energy.
Dustin: There's something here. I'm attracted to this. This is cool. And then that led to a call, which led to a call, which led to her being on the summit. And then she's invited me into something potentially in Austin. This fall was not that long ago, maybe six months tops. Yeah. That's just one example of Amber, and I
don't know how, you know, [00:33:00] Cutco and all the history there. I don't know how she ended up with the Front Row Dads community being like a center of influence and an aligned partnership, but totally did, to the point that I just was like naturally attracted into her orbit, and we got to know each other, and now we're doing cool stuff like this.
Dustin: and then the other thing that she doesn't know, which will be a follow up conversation for us, the two of us, is like, I've totally felt this pull and this resonance to do a book. And, you know, and I think it's not A coincidence that in the past year or so, I found so much alignment in my own business.
Dustin: I found my own path to scaling it's just flowing out of me and I need some strategic help and some, some, channeling of that energy the right way. So I go to experts and I'm always looking for the who and maybe the who is Amber, but the point is, huge endorsement of getting alignment.
Dustin: strategic partnerships is like my life. It's like how I've grown everything I've done. And then, you know, the book, the best selling book launch, I think is forthcoming. so Amber, amazing how we just sort of impromptu figured out what we want to talk about today. And it just like totally lines up with where I'm at and where I know, people listening to this session are at too.
Dustin: So, I want to respect your [00:34:00] time and make sure that. we in the session at some point, even though I'd like to talk forever. So any kind of final thoughts on what you shared before we transitioned into talking about this
resource that you're going to give people with your book and a few other things that will help them with these three strategies.
Amber: Honestly, I just want to say don't waste time, you will meet your own resistance in this journey and some people wait for years to get that book out or they never do it and this is our one and only life as far as we know. And years ago, I got this fortune cookie and it said, do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.
Amber: And that hit me so hard. I can cry. It hit me so hard. And I thought, I don't want to live a life of fear. I don't want to look back and think that I wasted the best years of my life. By being afraid or, buying into this, what if it doesn't work, and [00:35:00] so every day I lean in no guts, no glory, I feel fear a lot, right?
Amber: I'm human and I just keep moving through it and then all of a sudden I've got. So many layers and layers and miles and miles of fears behind me that no longer hold me back. And there's just more freedom and more freedom and more freedom that I get to experience. And that's what's possible for you too.
Amber: So. If you want a friend in this journey, you've got one in me, and I'm around for anybody who wants to reach out and just share what came up for you during this session. I'd really love to hear from you,
Dustin: man. So grateful for that for you. So to get the resources, just so we don't forget that part. So ambervillehoward.
Dustin: com. and I guess I'll spell it V I l h a u e r. So ambervillehoward. com slash leap as in, you know, seven figure leap l e a p. Amber, I know it's a work in progress because we just decided exactly what you're talking about, but for
sure your book is going to be on there. And I guess other resources along [00:36:00] these three topics, right?
Amber: Yes, definitely.
Dustin: Awesome. Well, don't miss that opportunity. I mean, what a generous gift, you show up for a summit and you get a book at at a bare minimum. And it's not just a book it's, you can skip to chapter two if you want to alignment. Like what a gift is, is it to get into alignment because.
Dustin: It's a precursor to all the amazing success, , that Amber's enjoyed, the success that I've enjoyed, and it's the core of the three strategies that she just
outlined. And I don't know how you could hear that, those strategies and the energy behind them and not believe them. they're totally the way to go.
Dustin: You should do these things. , and you need, but you need alignment to get started there. And that's why it's the first one that, that Amber outlined. So, well, my friend, Bravo. That was awesome. Thank you so much for being here as part of the summit and look forward to maybe being in Hawaii together at
some point.
Dustin: So [00:37:00] [00:38:00]