The Fear Behind the Fear: A Psychologist's Take on Anxiety in Business with Dr. Amanda Tobe

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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