Meet Amber Monaco of You Need An Amber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Monaco.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my professional career in the US Navy. I spent six years in the Navy, including a deployment to Iraq. I began working in navigation and living on a ship for three years. Then, I transitioned to a different career path as a military paralegal, which was much more aligned with my personal interests and natural skillset. After the military, I worked as a paralegal at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

While at DHS, I was going to graduate school and assumed my career trajectory would be in national security. When I realized I didn’t want to think about terrorists every day, I took some time off of graduate school and traveled to Machu Pichu and the Galapagos to do some soul searching. I returned from the trip, dropped out of grad school, and began making plans for the next phase of my life.

I wanted time-freedom… travel… scuba diving… to create my life on my terms. I wanted to do something different.

So, I made a simple plan: Work and save as much money as I could for the next year. I would build up a side-hustle beside the DHS job. Then, I would sell everything I own, quit my job, and travel the world for as long as I can while running my business.

And, I did it.

For two years, I traveled the world as a digital nomad. I moved around the world, popping in and out of coworking spaces, and running my businesses online. I visited five continents and 20 countries while also taking time to scuba dive, see historical sites, and live life on my terms.

When it was time to come back to the states, I moved back to the KC area, where I grew up. I immediately got hired at a local coworking space, which I ran for three years. I began attending events and immersed myself in the entrepreneurial circles to grow my personal and professional network.

Life at the coworking space showed me where entrepreneurs really struggle: They are great at their craft but don’t love the backend part of running a business. Luckily, that’s where I shine! I saw the gap in the industry, honed in on my skillset, and created something new for myself.

At the end of 2020, I started my newest business: You Need An Amber. I help established entrepreneurs create efficiencies in their business through systems, processes, workflows, and automation. This gives the business owner more white space in their calendar to have the life they want, whether that means taking on more clients, taking Fridays off work, or picking their kids up from school in the middle of the day.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been an unknown road… one that I could not have predicted and one I didn’t know was even available.

My struggles have mostly been internal. What do I want? How can I make it happen? Who do I need on my team to support me? Who can I look to for inspiration? Where can I go to learn new skills? How can I pay for it all? Can I be patient enough?

Once I knew those answers, I knew I could learn whatever skill I needed or hire someone to help me. I also struggle with negative self-talk. I am hard on myself when I spend time relaxing instead of working on my business or my personal goals. That has led to burnout in the past. I have to be active about scheduling downtime, seeing friends and making sure I still travel.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My goal at You Need An Amber is to support business owners. Every business can be more efficient but it’s hard to find the time to implement processes, hire the right team, or outsource part of the work. That’s where I come in.

Together, with the CEO, I create a strategic map of the business to determine the areas that truly need attention and the areas that are already functioning well. From there, we create smaller projects and work together to create processes and structures for the business.

This powerful process equips the business owner to take charge of the areas of their business that need the most attention and to make a true impact.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://youneedanamber.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youneedanamber/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youneedanamber

Image Credits
Suzanne Fryer