Episode Details
Back to EpisodesThe Fear Behind the Fear: A Psychologist's Take on Anxiety in Business with Dr. Amanda Tobe
Description
This week on This Mother Means Business, Laura sits down with Dr. Amanda Tobe, an industrial-organizational psychologist and founder of Amanda Tobe & Associates, for a thoughtful conversation about the human side of entrepreneurship. Together, they explore public speaking anxiety, fear of judgment, career pivots, motherhood, mental health, and what it looks like to keep building a business while navigating life’s hardest seasons. Amanda also shares her personal journey of redesigning her career in her early 30s, building a practice rooted in career-focused psychological support, and moving through a recent breast cancer diagnosis with intention, openness, and support.
In this episode you will hear:
00:00 – Why mental health belongs in conversations about business
00:33 – Meet Dr. Amanda Tobe and what an industrial-organizational psychologist does
01:49 – The three main areas Amanda supports in her practice
03:38 – Career pivots, public speaking anxiety, and entrepreneurial fears
06:00 – Laura opens up about her own public speaking anxiety
07:23 – The four fears underneath public speaking anxiety
10:11 – Where to start when navigating fear and anxiety around visibility
13:03 – Amanda’s career pivot and creating a passion-led business
16:24 – How Amanda knew it was time to go all in
19:36 – Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship with intentional boundaries
21:42 – How Amanda applies her own tools to the fears that come with business
24:13 – Why no entrepreneur is immune to fear and self-doubt
25:41 – Amanda shares her breast cancer diagnosis and how she is navigating it
27:36 – Supporting yourself through a life ambush while running a business
30:19 – Community, openness, and asking for help
32:21 – Where to connect with Dr. Amanda Tobe
Amanda's Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.amandatobe/
Website: https://www.amandatobe.com/
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