Amanda Goetz: Building Success Through Community

Amanda Goetz didn’t have a famous last name, a tech pedigree, or a trust fund. What she did have was far more valuable: grit, determination, and a passion for building authentic communities

Her roots in a small farm town sparked that early passion for connection. Goetz acted as SGA President in high school, and her ambition didn’t stop there. When she went on to college at the University of Illinois, she juggled four jobs, an engagement, and still graduated a year early. That combination of work ethic and ambition has been a throughline ever since.

After graduating from University she went on to work at Ernst and Young doing marketing for a hedge fund. After that, she took her first step into the wedding industry, and worked under David Tutera, a celebrity wedding planner. 

Amanda Goetz began her entrepreneurial journey in 2011 while serving on the board of Rosie’s Theater Kids, a nonprofit founded by Rosie O’Donnell that brings theater and performing arts to inner-city public schools. During her time there, she met another board member who proposed  a startup idea: brokering canceled weddings.

And so, her first venture was born: Goetz co-founded a technology startup aimed at helping couples recoup costs by reselling their canceled wedding plans. She led the company for three years, even recruiting 500 beta members. However, she faced trouble getting funding. When The Knot, a leading wedding brand, offered her a position, she pitched them her tech. That pitch, and job, marked a new chapter.

The start of her second venture, emerged during COVID-19. She went back to her roots of community building when recognizing her desire to empower women to “take up space” and prioritize self-care. And so, House of Wise, a wellness brand designed to help women take control of their well-being emerged. The brand offers CBD and adaptogen-infused gummies targeting sleep, sex, stress, and strength.

Before launch, Amanda spent months building a tight-knit community of 200 – 400 women. She treated them like investors, transparently sharing updates, samples, and progress. When launch day arrived, those 400 women became the brand’s biggest advocates, sharing House of Wise across their networks and sparking a groundswell of organic buzz. She went on to raise $2 million in seed funding and build a loyal following. Amanda sold House of Wise in 2022.

Today, Amanda works as a fractional CMO, lending her brand and marketing expertise to startups and founders. She’s also the founder of Life’s a Game, a growing community of over 150,000 people who are canceling hustle culture and redefining success on their own terms.

Through her refreshingly personal newsletter, she writes like she’s sitting across from you with a cup of coffee, sharing hard-earned lessons with honesty and heart. Each edition follows a “My Turn / Your Turn” rhythm: first, she opens up vulnerably about her own journey whether that be burnout, ambition, boundaries, clarity, then she hands the mic to you, offering prompts, questions, and permission to reflect. It feels more like a conversation than content.

Amanda also offers coaching, leads group retreats, and facilitates a private community of high-achieving individuals ready to leave behind hustle culture. Her work now centers on guiding people, especially women, who want to live full lives without losing themselves to endless ambition.

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, builder, or dreamer, Amanda Goetz’s story is a reminder that the most valuable capital is not money, it’s community.

We are honored to welcome Amanda Goetz as one of our keynote speakers at the 2025 Startup Mountain Summit.

Click here to join her community.

Grab tickets to the Summit here.